A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has condemned the ongoing detention of Alabi Quadri, a minor held at the Kirikiri Minimum Security Custodial Centre in Lagos since January, calling it a stark example of the failings within Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
In a preliminary statement issued on Wednesday via , Effiong revealed details of his visit to the Magistrate Court of Lagos, Apapa Magisterial District, on April 9, 2025, to investigate the circumstances of Quadri’s arrest and detention.
News360 Info reports that he was accompanied by a colleague from his law firm, Quadri’s mother and family members, as well as a social activist who had previously brought the case to public attention.
“We can confirm that Alabi has been in detention since January. He was abducted by ‘Area Boys’ close to his home while returning from work,” Effiong said, shedding light on the boy’s harrowing experience.
Effiong added that both Quadri and his mother believe that his ordeal stemmed from a grudge held by local youths, who felt entitled to a share of a monetary gift Quadri received after an encounter with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
“His painful walk to prison can be attributed to the prolonged malice nursed by some self-acclaimed area boys of his locality who felt entitled to a share of the unexpected fortune that came Alabi’s way when he halted and stood in front of the convoy of Mr. Peter Obi during the last electioneering campaign,” Effiong explained.
Effiong further revealed that the group, angry over not receiving a share of the monetary gift, abducted Quadri and took him to Amukoko Police Station (Pako Police Station), falsely accusing him of involvement in street fights.
The situation took a dramatic turn when police charged him—alongside four strangers—with armed robbery.
“It came as a rude shock when the police took him before a Magistrate along with four other individuals who are complete strangers to him, alleging that he conspired with them to commit ‘Armed Robbery’ with cutlasses,” Effiong said.
He explained that the police claimed the victims were robbed of money and four mobile phones, valued at ₦579,000. However, Effiong, who spent about two hours interviewing Quadri, expressed his firm belief in the boy’s innocence.
“Speaking objectively, we all left Kirikiri with a strong conviction that this gentleman is just another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” Effiong asserted.
He further pointed out that Quadri is a minor, under the age of 18, yet has appeared in court three times alongside adult co-defendants. He is currently being held with adults while awaiting legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Effiong vowed to pursue every legal avenue to secure the boy’s release, ensuring that the rights of minors are upheld in the judicial process.
“We shall provide additional information and the available legal options subsequently. Suffice it to say that we will do all that is legally permissible to secure Alabi’s freedom,” Effiong concluded.
