Viral Kid In Peter Obi Campaign Picture Remanded In Custody Amid Alleged False Charges, Lawyer Reports.
A shocking case of alleged injustice emerged from the Magistrate Court of Lagos in the Apapa Magisterial District on 9 April 2025, where Alabi Quadri, a minor, has reportedly been detained since January under questionable circumstances. Inibehe Effiong, a lawyer who visited the young man at the Minimum Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos, provided a detailed statement following hours spent at the court and the custodial facility.
Effiong, accompanied by a colleague from his law firm, Alabi’s mother, other family members, and a social activist who raised public awareness of the case, said the visit aimed to uncover the facts surrounding Alabi’s arrest, detention, and remand. He confirmed that Alabi, who is under 18, had been held at the custodial centre since January after a series of troubling events.
According to Effiong’s statement, Alabi and his mother claimed the teenager’s ordeal stemmed from a grudge held by local ‘Area Boys’ in his community. The lawyer reported that the trouble began when Alabi unexpectedly came into some money after standing in front of the convoy of Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, during the last election campaign. The Area Boys, feeling entitled to a share of this windfall, allegedly turned hostile when Alabi failed to “settle” them adequately.
Effiong recounted that Alabi was abducted by these individuals near his home while returning from work. The same group, who had reportedly threatened him for months, then dragged him to Amukoko Police Station, also known as Pako Police Station, where he was detained. Initially, the Area Boys accused Alabi of involvement in street fights, but the situation escalated when police took him before a magistrate alongside four strangers, charging them all with armed robbery involving cutlasses.
The police alleged that Alabi and the four others had robbed two victims of cash and four mobile phones, with the total value of the stolen items amounting to N579,000. However, Effiong, after spending two hours interviewing Alabi, expressed a firm belief that the teenager was innocent. “Speaking objectively, we all left Kirikiri with a strong conviction that this gentleman is just another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” he said.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, Effiong highlighted that Alabi, as a minor, had been remanded alongside four adult strangers at the custodial centre. The teenager has appeared before the magistrate on three occasions, with the court ordering his detention pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Effiong assured the public that further updates and details of available legal options would be provided in due course. “We will do all that is legally permissible to secure Alabi’s freedom,” he pledged, thanking those who have shown interest in the case.
The plight of Alabi Quadri has sparked concern among observers, shedding light on potential flaws in the criminal justice process and the vulnerability of young Nigerians caught in such circumstances.
