Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the 17-year-old who once captured national attention for his bold show of support during Nigeria’s 2023 elections, has regained his freedom after spending months in wrongful detention over a fabricated armed robbery charge.
Alabi was discharged Wednesday by Magistrate A.O. Olorunfemi at the Apapa Magistrate Court in Lagos. His release followed a legal review by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which found no evidence linking him to the alleged crime.
The teenager had been held at the Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre since January 26, 2025 — the result, according to his legal team, of a disturbing police conspiracy designed to silence and punish him.
Human rights lawyer and lead counsel, Inibehe Effiong, described the arrest as a “diabolical frame-up” orchestrated by police officers at the Amukoko Divisional Headquarters, allegedly in collusion with local enforcers known in the area.
“Quadri was abducted by two known area boys, Lege and Baba Waris, who had been harassing him over money he received during the 2023 campaign season,” Effiong wrote in a Facebook post. “His family was even coerced by the community Baale to placate the thugs with a cow, bags of rice, and a feast.”
Initially accused of involvement in a street brawl, Quadri’s case escalated rapidly and inexplicably when police charged him with armed robbery. He was bundled alongside four adult suspects with no connection to him, while officers falsely recorded his age as 18 — possibly to sidestep the protections afforded to minors under Nigerian law.
The case gained national attention last week after Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of the Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, brought it to light. Following public pressure and legal intervention, the DPP reviewed the case and found the allegations without merit.
Effiong’s swift action led to the teenager’s discharge, but the lawyer insists the matter is far from over.
He is now calling for the immediate removal and disciplinary investigation of the Divisional Police Officer at Amukoko, the Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Odigbe Samuel, and others involved in what he termed “an evil, sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme.”
Effiong has also demanded a public apology and ₦100 million in damages from the Nigeria Police Force, warning of imminent legal action if the demands are not met.
“Quadri’s case is a painful example of the putrefying corruption, monstrous impunity, and pervasive injustice in the Nigeria Police Force,” Effiong said. “There are many more Quadris languishing in detention across Nigeria due to the lack of accountability and the structural failures of our justice system.”
Now back with his family, Quadri’s return is bittersweet — a reminder of the power of civic courage, but also the heavy price young Nigerians too often pay for speaking up.
His story has reignited urgent conversations about police reform, legal oversight, and the lingering rot within Nigeria’s criminal justice institutions.
