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LAGOS, Nigeria - The teenager, who gained viral fame during the 2023 presidential election campaign by standing in front of the convoy of the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, in Lagos, Quadri Alabi, has threatened to take legal action against the Nigerian Police for unlawfully detaining him and fabricating charges before a Magistrate in the state.
Alabi stated that he would be seeking justice and appropriate compensation in court due to the police's actions against him over a span of three months.
He issued this threat after accusing the Lagos police command of disseminating falsehoods and creating charges against him, despite the fact that the court had previously discharged and acquitted him of the allegations brought against him by the Lagos police officers.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the police's actions, Alabi, through his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, described the police's narrative regarding Alabi's recent detention as “laughable” and a “serious act of recklessness.”
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He declared that they would be meeting with the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, DPO of Amukoko CSP Olaniran Ismaila O., IPO Inspector Odigbe Samuel, and others in court in the near future to pursue justice and the rightful compensation.
He emphasized that the court would assist him in obtaining appropriate compensation from the police, as their officers arrested him without any evidence of wrongdoing.
The statement indicated that they had noticed a misleading and inflammatory statement released by the Lagos State Police Command, which attempted futilely to deceive the public regarding the fabricated case against Quadri Alabi.
“The statement is not only laughable, it is absurd. It is embarrassing that the police would propagate false information and fake news about an innocent Nigerian youth.
Nigerians will recall that in our earlier communications, we stated that our client was abducted by two ‘Area Boys’ named Lege and Baba Waris while returning home from work and was subsequently taken to the Amukoko Divisional Police Station.”
“These same Area Boys and their affiliates have been harassing our client since 2023 in an effort to extort a portion of the donations made to him following his stand in front of Peter Obi’s convoy.
In an earlier statement, the police alleged that Quadri was arrested for involvement in street fighting.
They further claimed that several properties were damaged, and some individuals were robbed, claiming that Quadri was identified by some locals and victims.
“To clarify, Quadri is not 18 years old as falsely asserted by the police; he is 17, as is documented in his birth certificate and confirmed by his mother. He was born on September 29, 2007.
Furthermore, Quadri neither participated in street fighting nor perpetrated any robbery; he also did not damage property.
There was never an occasion where our client was identified by any victim of the alleged offenses. The police should clarify for the public when and where this identification occurred and the methodology used.
“How was Quadri identified by the supposed victims without an identification parade conducted as mandated by law, particularly given that the alleged offenses were purportedly committed around 10pm? Additionally, while the police stated that our client was arrested, they did not specify who arrested him or where it occurred, leaving a significant gap in their account.
“It must also be noted that the supposed accomplices of Quadri are adults who he does not know.
The police have not revealed any connection between Quadri and the four adults who were also detained alongside him.
It is important to record that the police held Quadri in their custody for approximately a week before unlawfully presenting him before a Magistrate for remand.
“It is established that once the lawful limit for detaining a suspect has elapsed, any subsequent remand order cannot rectify the infringement.
It is absurd that despite the Legal Advice from the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State, which cleared Quadri, and his subsequent discharge by the Court, the Lagos State Police Command, instead of showing remorse, chose to persist in their deceitful and irresponsible behavior.
“We denounce this flagrant act of recklessness and irresponsibility by the police. By following this course of action, the Nigeria Police Force is demonstrating to the nation that they are far from being reformed.”
