Alabi Quadri, the teenager detained for three months on armed robbery allegations after a chance encounter with Peter Obi, has been released and is demanding N100m in compensation from the Lagos State Police Command for his wrongful incarceration
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]labi Quadri, the teenager who gained internet attention after being seen standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy in Lagos in 2023, has been freed after spending three months in incarceration.
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He was arrested and arraigned by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command on allegations of armed robbery.
Following his release on Thursday, Quadri, through his legal representative, Inibehe Effiong, is demanding N100 million in compensation from the police for his wrongful detention.
Quadri’s ordeal began after some louts in his Amukoko community allegedly demanded a share of money they believed he received from Peter Obi.
According to a statement released by his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, these louts abducted Quadri on his way home from work and handed him over to the police, falsely accusing him of street fighting.
Effiong narrated that the Amukoko police division subsequently charged Quadri with armed robbery and obtained a remand order that led to his incarceration at the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.
On behalf of Quadri, Effiong is demanding the prosecution of all police officers involved in the alleged framing and prosecution of the teenager.
He also demanded a public apology and N100 million in compensation for Quadri, threatening legal action if these demands are not met immediately.
“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’,” Effiong stated.
“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,” said Inibehe Effiong, Quadri’s legal representative.
“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,” he concluded.
Effiong further detailed how the police allegedly misrepresented Quadri’s age to be 18 to avoid suspicion and fraudulently linked him with four unrelated adults as co-defendants in the armed robbery charge.
He highlighted that the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) eventually reviewed the case and found no evidence to support the armed robbery allegations, recommending Quadri’s non-prosecution, which led to his discharge by the presiding Magistrate.
Meanwhile, due to ongoing threats to Quadri and his family, Effiong has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to facilitate their relocation to a safer environment.
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He stated that Amukoko is no longer safe for them and appealed to the public for financial assistance to cover relocation costs, basic living expenses, and Quadri’s rehabilitation, including his desire to return to school and learn a vocational skill. The appeal also aims to support Quadri’s mother, a struggling petty trader.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
