The Nigerian Correctional Service presented Quadri in court after he had spent several months in detention at Kirikiri Prison. Initially, his case was scheduled for hearing on April 28.
Lagos, Nigeria – A Lagos Magistrate Court has discharged and acquitted Alabi Quadri, the young man who rose to national prominence during the 2023 general elections after a viral image showed him bravely standing in front of the convoy of then-presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Quadri was freed by the Apapa Magistrate Court, Court 9, located at the Sikiru Adagun Courthouse in Orege, Ajegunle, on Thursday, April 17, 2025. The court ruled that he had no case to answer regarding charges of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery.
The Nigerian Correctional Service presented Quadri in court after he had spent several months in detention at Kirikiri Prison. Initially, his case was scheduled for hearing on April 28. However, human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, along with the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), filed a joint application requesting an earlier date, which the court approved.
Effiong, who has been actively involved in Quadri’s legal defence, revealed that the charges stemmed from what he described as a malicious vendetta by some individuals in Quadri’s neighbourhood. According to him, local street thugs, commonly referred to as ‘area boys’, harboured resentment over the public goodwill and financial support Quadri received following his viral moment in 2023.
The lawyer narrated how in January 2025, Quadri was abducted near his residence while returning from work. He was reportedly taken to the Amukoko Police Station—popularly known as Pako Police Station—by the same ‘area boys’ who had been issuing threats against him. There, he was accused of being involved in a street brawl and later arraigned alongside four strangers on allegations of conspiracy to commit armed robbery using cutlasses.
Court documents alleged that the victims were dispossessed of N579,000 in cash and four mobile phones. However, Quadri consistently maintained his innocence, and the court eventually found no substantive evidence linking him to the crime.
Effiong further decried the fact that despite being a minor at the time of his arrest, Quadri was held with adult inmates at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre while awaiting legal advice from the DPP. He described the teenager’s experience as both traumatic and unjust, highlighting the dangers of using the justice system to settle personal scores.
Quadri’s encounter with the criminal justice system sparked outrage among many Nigerians, who viewed his ordeal as an affront to justice. His iconic image standing fearlessly before Peter Obi’s convoy during a politically charged campaign season had come to symbolize youthful resistance and hope in a time of national uncertainty.
With his acquittal, supporters and human rights advocates are calling for further investigation into the actions of those who orchestrated his arrest, as well as compensation for the young man’s wrongful incarceration.
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