Armed Robbery: Court Discharges Young Boy Who Stood Before Peter Obi’s Convoy
A Magistrate Court sitting at the Sikiru Adagun Courthouse in Orege, Ajegunle, Lagos, has discharged and acquitted Alabi Quadri, the young boy who became a household name during the 2023 general elections after boldly standing in front of the campaign convoy of the then Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Alabi, who had spent several months at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre over charges of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery, was finally set free on Thursday, 17th April 2025.
The court held that he had no case to answer.
OSUN DEFENDER recalls that Alabi was arrested in January and arraigned alongside four strangers after being accused of involvement in a robbery said to have involved cutlasses and the alleged theft of ₦579,000 and four mobile phones.
He was taken to court by officers from Amukoko Police Station, commonly known as Pako.
Human rights lawyer, Barrister Inibehe Effiong, who had taken up the case, described Alabi’s ordeal as a tragic abuse of the justice system, fuelled by envy and malicious intent.
According to Effiong, Alabi’s trouble began after his widely circulated act of courage during the tense 2023 election period brought him public admiration and unexpected support.
He became a symbol of youthful defiance and hope for many Nigerians.
However, his rising profile did not sit well with some local street elements, popularly referred to as area boys, in his Ajegunle neighbourhood.
Effiong revealed that the area boys, feeling sidelined from the attention and goodwill Alabi received, reportedly abducted him while returning from work and handed him over to the police on trumped-up allegations.
“He was falsely accused, detained unlawfully and subjected to the trauma of Kirikiri prison, all because some people in his area felt entitled to what he received from kind-hearted Nigerians,” Effiong said.
The human rights lawyer further explained that despite being a minor at the time of his arrest, Alabi was remanded in adult custody pending advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
He added that both his legal team and the DPP had approached the court to bring forward the date of hearing initially fixed for 28th April.
The presiding Magistrate, after reviewing the case, declared that there was no substantial evidence linking Alabi to the said crime, and ordered his immediate release.
Alabi’s mother, who was present in court, was seen in tears of joy as she reunited with her son.
Reacting after the judgment, Barrister Effiong thanked the court for upholding justice and promised to pursue legal redress against those behind Alabi’s wrongful arrest and detention.
“This boy deserves not only freedom but an apology and compensation for what he has been made to endure,” he said.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
