Over ₦10 Million Raised for Viral Teen Quadri Alabi After Unjust Arrest

 

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has revealed that over ₦10 million has been raised in just four days to support Quadri Alabi, the teenager who went viral in 2023 for courageously stepping in front of Peter Obi’s campaign convoy.

Speaking during a live interview on Channels TV on Monday, April 21, where he appeared alongside Alabi, Effiong shared updates on the teen’s recent legal ordeal and the ongoing efforts to rebuild his life.

According to Effiong, the 17-year-old was recently released after being wrongfully arrested and charged in connection with a violent street fight in the Amukoko area of Lagos. Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi ordered his release after legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins.

Effiong described the arrest and prosecution as part of a “sinister and corrupt scheme” allegedly orchestrated by rogue police officers and local area boys intent on extorting Quadri and his family.

“Area boys started extorting him, claiming he hadn’t ‘settled’ them,” Effiong said. “They even pressured his mother to throw a party—buy a cow, cook rice—for the community. When she refused, the threats escalated.”

On a second attempt to frame him, Effiong said two men known as Leggy and Baba Waris picked up Quadri on his way home from work and handed him over to the police, falsely accusing him of being involved in a fight.

According to Effiong, CSP Ismaila Ulaniro of the Amukoko Police Division detained Quadri for a week without proper charges before arraigning him in court on January 27.

“He was charged alongside four adults he didn’t know and accused of armed robbery,” Effiong explained. “No identification parade was conducted. There was zero evidence linking him to the crime.”

He also alleged that the police deliberately falsified Alabi’s age to ensure he would be treated as an adult in court.

“They claimed he was 18. If they had said 17, the court might not have remanded him to a regular prison,” Effiong said. “The magistrate even noted this discrepancy but said she had to go by the information presented.”

Quadri, speaking during the interview, recounted the traumatic experience. “I was at the entrance of my house when the police came. Area boys pointed me out. They had already taken my phone and the money I had on me. I was the youngest person in the cell.”

Despite the trauma, there is now a ray of hope. Effiong confirmed that a public crowdfunding campaign to support Quadri’s future has seen overwhelming success.

“We’ve raised over ₦10 million in four days,” he said. “The goal is to relocate Quadri from Amukoko and to provide a stable source of income for his mother, who is a petty trader. This is a testament to the compassion and solidarity of everyday Nigerians.”