Teen who stood in front of Peter Obi’s convoy freed after months in Kirikiri
Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the 17-year-old who captivated national attention during the 2023 elections by boldly standing in front of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s convoy, has regained his freedom today after months of wrongful detention at the Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Alabi was discharged by a Lagos Magistrate Court following a legal recommendation by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, confirming that there was no evidence to support the armed robbery charge brought against him.
According to his legal counsel, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, Alabi was abducted earlier this year near his home in Amukoko, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, by two known local thugs, identified as Lege and Baba Waris. The abductors allegedly handed him over to officers at Amukoko Divisional Police Headquarters, falsely accusing him of street fighting.
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What began as a fabricated accusation soon escalated. On January 26, 2025, police took Alabi to a Magistrate in Apapa, where they secured an order to remand him at Kirikiri prison on a trumped-up charge of armed robbery. The police reportedly grouped him with four unrelated adult men and claimed they were co-defendants—despite no evidence linking Alabi to them or the alleged crime.
Effiong revealed that the officers also falsified Alabi’s age, listing him as 18 instead of 17, to bypass legal scrutiny typically afforded to minors.
Public awareness of Alabi’s ordeal grew after Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, shared the case online. Within a week, legal advocacy intensified, culminating in today’s court victory.
At the hearing, Magistrate A.O. Olorunfemi confirmed the DPP’s legal advice, which stated that no credible evidence existed against Alabi. She accordingly discharged him, bringing months of unjust incarceration to an end.
“We commend the DPP for standing by the truth,” Effiong said in a statement. “This case is a painful example of the corruption, impunity, and injustice that plague the Nigeria Police Force.”
The legal team is now calling for immediate disciplinary action against the officers involved, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Amukoko Station and Inspector Odigbe Samuel. They are demanding that these officers face an orderly room trial.
Additionally, Effiong has called on the Nigeria Police Force to compensate Alabi with ₦100 million for the emotional, psychological, and reputational damage he suffered and to issue a public apology.
“If these demands are not met, we will initiate legal proceedings to seek justice,” Effiong added.
Alabi’s case has sparked renewed calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s policing and justice systems, highlighting how vulnerable citizens—especially youths—can be victims of institutional failure and abuse.
