By Ihechi Enyinnaya
A wave of public concern has erupted following the shocking revelation that Alabi Quadri, a teenager and known supporter of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, has been in detention at the Kirikiri Minimum Security Custodial Centre since January 2025 over what activists and legal representatives describe as a deeply troubling miscarriage of justice.
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in a preliminary statement issued on Tuesday, detailed the events leading to Alabi’s arrest and current incarceration. Effiong visited the Apapa Magistrate Court earlier in the day alongside a colleague, Alabi’s mother, and other relatives to ascertain the facts of the case. The visit was followed by a trip to the custodial centre where they met with Alabi.
According to the lawyer, Alabi was abducted near his home by local “Area Boys” — a term used to describe street gangs — while returning from work. His alleged crime? Failing to “settle” certain individuals who believed they were entitled to a share of the financial gifts he reportedly received after his public show of support for Peter Obi during the 2023 election campaign.
What began as threats and harassment allegedly escalated into a calculated setup. The Area Boys reportedly dragged Alabi to the Amukoko Police Station, accusing him of being involved in street fights. However, the case took a stunning turn when police charged him — alongside four adults he had never met before — with conspiracy and armed robbery.
The charge, according to the police, involved the use of cutlasses to rob two individuals of cash and four mobile phones, with a combined value of N579,000. Alabi, still a minor under Nigerian law, was remanded with the four adults and has since made three court appearances. The court is awaiting legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before proceeding.
Effiong stated that after spending nearly two hours interviewing Alabi, his team was convinced that the young man was a victim of a broken system rather than a criminal. “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 public outrage is the fact that Alabi is under the age of 18, yet is being held in an adult custodial facility. Legal and child rights advocates are already calling for his immediate release and for a thorough investigation into the conduct of the police officers involved.
Effiong promised that his team would pursue every legal option available to secure the teenager’s freedom, stating, “We will do all that is legally permissible to secure Alabi’s freedom.”
As Nigerians continue to grapple with the flaws of the justice system, Alabi’s case is rapidly becoming a symbol of a much deeper crisis—one where the poor and voiceless too often bear the brunt of unchecked police power, community vendettas, and systemic failure.