BREAKING: Over ₦10 Million Raised For 17-Year-Old Quadri Alabi Following Alleged Wrongful Arrest
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has disclosed that over ₦10 million has been raised in just four days for 17-year-old Quadri Alabi, who was allegedly wrongfully arrested and charged by the police in Lagos.
Naija News reports that Effiong made the revelation in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, where he appeared alongside Alabi.
He criticised the officers of the Amukoko Police Division for falsifying Alabi’s age and colluding with local area boys to frame him for a crime he did not commit.
Alabi was arrested earlier this year and charged in connection with a street fight in the Amukoko area. However, Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi later released him, following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Babajide Martins.
Effiong accused some police personnel of subjecting Alabi to an internal police trial, which he described as part of a “sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme” supported by rogue area boys.
The lawyer explained that the incident began when Alabi, who gained attention in 2023 for jumping in front of Peter Obi’s campaign convoy, went viral. The publicity brought Alabi both fame and donations, but also led to harassment.
Effiong stated that local area boys began extorting Alabi, claiming that he had not “settled” them despite receiving money from Peter Obi’s campaign.
They allegedly pressured his mother to buy a cow, cook rice, and throw a feast for the community. When she refused, the threats escalated.
“This was not the first time these area boys targeted Alabi,” Effiong said. He explained that in January, while returning home from work, Alabi was arrested by two local thugs, Leggy and Baba Waris, who claimed he had ignored them despite receiving money from the campaign. They allegedly handed him over to the police.
Effiong further revealed that Alabi was detained for a week and later charged alongside four adult men he had never met. They were accused of armed robbery that allegedly occurred on January 22 at 10 p.m.
However, no identification parade was conducted, and there was no evidence linking Alabi to the crime.
On the issue of age falsification, Effiong stated that the police deliberately listed Alabi’s age as 18 in court documents to allow for his trial in a regular court. Had they stated he was 17, the case would have been handled differently, possibly preventing his remand in a regular prison.
Recalling his experience, Alabi said, “I was just at the entrance of my house when the police came and arrested me. The area boys pointed me out. At the station, I was the youngest there. I was locked up with older men. They asked me what I did, and I said nothing.”
He also mentioned that the area boys had earlier taken his phone and money before handing him over to the police.
Effiong confirmed that public support for Alabi has been overwhelming. “We’ve raised over N10 million in just four days for Quadri. The goal is to relocate him from Amukoko and secure a source of income for his mother, who is a petty trader. “This shows the strength of the Nigerian spirit,” Effiong said.
