BREAKING: Quadri Alabi: Why We Arrested Peter Obi’s “Poster Boy”, Police Speak, Lawyer Disagrees
A fresh controversy is brewing over the recent arrest and detention of teenager Quadri Alabi, as Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has accused the state police command of spreading falsehood in a bid to justify what he described as a “malicious frame-up.”
The police had issued a statement claiming Alabi, whom they referred to as an 18-year-old, was arrested in connection with a violent street fight in the Amukoko area of Lagos on January 22.
Police alleged boy was linked to robbery
They alleged that during the incident, several properties were vandalized, and some residents were robbed and injured.
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The statement further noted that Alabi was identified by community members and victims before he was charged and remanded alongside four others.
Effiong, however, dismissed the police account as a fabrication, insisting that the young man is innocent.
He maintained that Quadri, who he said is 17 and not 18 as claimed by the police, was abducted by two known thugs – Lege and Baba Waris – before being forcibly taken to the Amukoko Police Station.
“These same individuals have been harassing our client since 2023, trying to extort money from him after he gained public attention for standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy,” Effiong said in a strongly worded statement.
He challenged the police to provide concrete evidence of the alleged identification, questioning how Alabi could have been recognized at night without an official identification parade, which is a standard legal requirement.
“There’s no clarity on who arrested him or where he was picked up. The police are also silent on the nature of his connection to the four adult co-defendants he was arraigned with,” the lawyer added.
Quadri detained illegally for week – Effiong
Effiong also criticised the police for detaining the teenager for nearly a week before securing a remand order—an act he believes violates constitutional provisions on the detention of minors.
Despite a legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) clearing Alabi of wrongdoing, Effiong lamented that the police have refused to accept the findings. Instead, he accused the command of attempting to rewrite the narrative.
He has vowed to seek redress in court against key officers involved, including the Commissioner of Police, the Amukoko Divisional Police Officer, and the Investigating Police Officer. A formal petition to the Police Service Commission is also underway.
“The Nigeria Police is again reminding us how far it has drifted from professionalism,” Effiong said.
Boy who stood in front of Peter Obi’s convoy regains freedom
earlier reported that the Nigerian boy who went viral for standing before Peter Obi’s convoy in Lagos has finally regained his freedom.
The boy, Alabi Quadri, was released from prison today, Thursday, April 17, according to his lawyer, Iniebehe Effiong.
