Lagos Teenager, Once a Symbol of Youth Defiance, Regains Freedom After Ordeal in Kirikiri

 

Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the 17-year-old who captured national attention during the 2023 general elections for courageously standing in front of the convoy of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, has regained his freedom after spending months behind bars on false armed robbery charges.

On Wednesday, a Lagos Magistrate’s Court in Apapa discharged and freed Quadri after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, issued a legal opinion stating that there was no evidence linking him to the crime. The DPP’s legal advice recommended that Quadri not be prosecuted, leading to the presiding Magistrate, Her Honour A.O. Olorunfemi, formally striking out the case.

Quadri’s story is one of youthful idealism tainted by systemic abuse and police corruption. His name became familiar to Nigerians in 2023 when he boldly jumped in front of Peter Obi’s campaign convoy — a spontaneous act of political passion that instantly became a symbol of youth hope and activism.

But in a disturbing twist, that moment of fame became the beginning of a harrowing journey.

According to his legal team, led by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, Quadri was abducted earlier this year by two known street toughs, “Lege” and “Baba Waris”, near his home in Amukoko, a suburb of Lagos. These men, and others from the area, had reportedly been harassing the teenager, demanding a cut of the donations he received following his viral moment in 2023.

His family shared that community leaders, including the Baale, attempted to pacify the thugs by suggesting the family buy a cow and rice to throw a feast — an informal attempt at resolving tensions through appeasement. However, that was not enough to protect the teen from the machinations that followed.

After being abducted, Quadri was forcibly taken to the Amukoko Divisional Police Headquarters. At first, the claim was that he had been involved in a street fight. Days later, on January 26, 2025, he was arraigned before a magistrate on charges of armed robbery — charges that came out of nowhere, without any investigation or credible evidence.

Worse still, the police lumped Quadri together with four adult suspects he had never met, branding them as co-accused. In a brazen act of misrepresentation, officers at the station altered his age from 17 to 18, a move calculated to prevent the legal protections afforded to minors from applying.

Effiong and his team were contacted just a week ago, after the case gained renewed attention thanks to advocacy from Ms. Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach. The organization’s efforts were crucial in highlighting the injustice and pushing for legal intervention.

Now that Quadri is free, his legal team is not letting the matter end quietly.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Effiong demanded the immediate removal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Amukoko station and an orderly room trial for Inspector Odigbe Samuel and all other officers involved in what he described as a “sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme.”

He further demanded a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force and a compensation package of ₦100 million for Quadri.

“This case reveals the rot, the lawlessness, and the unchecked brutality that define the experience of too many Nigerians at the hands of the police,” Effiong stated. “There are many more Quadris across the country, rotting in jails without justice, because the system allows it.”

As the nation reacts to Quadri’s release, his case shines a light on the darker realities of Nigeria’s justice system — and reminds many of the power of public pressure and legal advocacy in holding institutions accountable.

“History will vindicate the just,” Effiong concluded.