Court Orders Release of 15-year-old Peter Obi supporter after 4 months in Kirikiri Prison

A Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Apapa has ordered the immediate release of 15-year-old Alabi Quadri, a viral supporter of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, after spending four months in Kirikiri Prison on what activists describe as trumped-up charges.

Alabi, who gained attention during the 2023 presidential election for standing in front of Peter Obi’s campaign convoy, had been detained since January 2025. He was accused of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery—a charge the court has now dismissed, ruling that the minor had no case to answer.

The Nigerian Correctional Service presented Alabi at the Apapa Magistrate Court (Court 9) on April 17, 2025, earlier than the original hearing date of April 28, following a request by renowned human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Effiong, who has taken up Alabi’s case pro bono, described his ordeal as a “vindictive setup” by local thugs—self-acclaimed ‘area boys’—who had allegedly abducted him and handed him to police officers after he declined to share financial gifts he received post-viral fame.

Alabi was arrested near his home while returning from work and taken to Amukoko Police Station before being arraigned alongside four strangers for alleged robbery involving cash and mobile phones. He was subsequently held in adult detention at Kirikiri despite being a minor.

The court’s dismissal of the case has been widely praised by human rights advocates, with calls for further investigation into the actions of the area boys and police officials involved in the unjust arrest.