Alabi Quadri, a teenager who was released on Thursday after being detained for three months after being charged with armed robbery by Lagos State Police Command agents, has requested N100 million in compensation from the police.
When Quadri stood in front of Peter Obi’s convoy on his 2023 visit to Lagos, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, he became viral on the internet.
The minor’s predicament started when several thugs in his neighbourhood in the state’s Amukoko region reportedly wanted a portion of the money that Obi allegedly gave him during their interaction.
His lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, described his experiences in a statement issued immediately after his release on Thursday. He said that the louts had kidnapped him on his way back from work and left him at the local police station on the grounds that he was fighting on the streets.
According to Effiong, Quadri was imprisoned in the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre after the police division brought him before the court on charges of armed robbery and requested a remand order, which they were granted.
Quadri’s lawyer urged that all of the police officers involved in the prosecution be put on trial.
Additionally, Effiong threatened to sue the police if they did not comply with his demand that they compensate Quadri with N100 million.
“We demand that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, and the Inspector General of Police, should as a matter of urgency, remove the DPO of Amukoko Divisional Headquarters and subject him to orderly room trial along with the IPO, one Inspector Odigbe Samuel, and other officers who participated in this evil, sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme of framing-up a teenager for armed robbery at the behest of rogue ‘Area Boys’.
“We demand that the Nigeria Police Force should pay the sum of N100m to our client as compensation. Also, we demand a public apology from the police.
“If the above three remedial demands are not fully complied with immediately, we shall initiate legal actions to seek redress,” Effiong concluded.
He continued, “Quadri’s family informed us that the community baale equally pressured them to buy a cow and rice and cook for the community to appease the area boys. The abductors initially told the officers at Amukoko Police Station that our client was involved in street fighting.
“To the consternation of Quadri and his family, the police on January 26, 2025, took Quadri before a Magistrate in Apapa and obtained an order remanding him at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri on a trumped-up charge of armed robbery.
“The police fraudulently joined Quadri with four strange adults who had no connection or relationship with him, and claimed that the four strange men were his casemates.”
Effiong added that the police also misrepresented his age before the court to prevent suspicion.
He noted that following the intervention of the legal representative and the advice of the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecution, Quadri was freed by the presiding judge.
“As part of the diabolical frame-up of our client, the officers at Amukoko Police Station also misrepresented his age to be 18, knowing that disclosing his actual age would likely raise eyebrows.
“At the Court today, the presiding Magistrate, His Honour, A. O. Olorunfemi (Mrs.), confirmed that the legal advice issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, of the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State, Dr. Babajide Martins showed that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation of armed robbery against Quadri.
“In his Legal Advice, the DPP recommended the non-prosecution of Quadri. Thus, the presiding Magistrate discharged him, and he was accordingly freed. We commend the DPP for standing by the truth in this matter,” Effiong stated.
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In the meantime, Quadri Alabi’s lawyer, Effiong, has started an urgent fundraising campaign.
After Quadri was released from court, it became evident that it was no longer safe for him to return to his family’s home in Amukoko, Lagos, according to a statement that Effiong made on X (previously Twitter) on Thursday.
“This appeal has become imperative due to active threats to Quadri and his family. As of this morning, they still received threats,” he said.
According to him, those responsible for Quadri’s ordeal have continued to pose a danger, with the family receiving fresh threats as recently as Thursday morning.
“Amukoko is no longer safe for them, those behind his travails can easily target him or his family members again,” Effiong said.
While emphasising the urgent need for financial help to aid their transfer, Effiong revealed that they had secured hotel accommodations for the family for the night.
At the request of Quadri’s family, the fundraising was started with the goals of supporting Quadri’s rehabilitation, helping them relocate to a safer area, and paying for necessities.
The campaign aims to assist Quadri’s mother, a small trader, who is finding it difficult to sustain her children since her husband passed away, in addition to relocation attempts.
“She has pleaded with Nigerians to assist her financially to enable her to cater for herself and her children,” Effiong noted.
Beyond immediate security needs, Effiong emphasised the importance of giving Quadri a second chance at life.
The young man, he said, has shown a strong desire to return to school and also acquire a vocational skill.
“We need to rehabilitate Quadri for him to be useful to himself and society,” he added.
Effiong assured prospective donors that all funds raised would be carefully monitored to prevent misappropriation.
