Prominent human rights advocate, Inibehe Effiong, has condemned the prolonged detention of a minor, Alabi Quadri, at the Kirikiri Minimum Security Custodial Centre in Lagos, describing it as a damning reflection of systemic flaws in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
Effiong made this revelation in a detailed statement shared on Wednesday via his official X handle. According to him, he visited the Magistrate Court of Lagos, Apapa Magisterial District, on April 9, 2025, in an effort to uncover the truth behind Quadri’s arrest and detention, which has lasted since January.
He was joined in this mission by a colleague from his law firm, members of Quadri’s family including his mother, and a social activist who had earlier brought the young boy’s case to public awareness.
Effiong disclosed that Quadri, a teenager, was abducted near his home by a group of street thugs popularly known as “Area Boys” while returning from work. “We can confirm that Alabi has been unlawfully held in detention since January. He was abducted by some ‘Area Boys’ close to his residence as he made his way home from work,” Effiong explained, emphasizing the traumatic nature of the incident.
According to his statement, both Alabi and his mother believe that his ordeal stems from envy and resentment harbored by some local youths. The resentment allegedly followed an incident in which Quadri received financial support from Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate during the 2023 elections, after an impromptu encounter during a campaign rally.
Effiong explained, “The reason this young boy is suffering in prison today is due to the vindictive actions of certain area boys in his neighborhood who felt entitled to the goodwill and monetary gift he received from Mr. Peter Obi. Their malice turned into vengeance when he refused to share the gift with them.”
The lawyer further narrated how the aggrieved group took matters into their own hands by abducting Quadri and taking him to the Amukoko (Pako) Police Station, where they accused him of engaging in a street brawl. However, things escalated when the police charged him, along with four unidentified individuals, with armed robbery.
“It was a shocking and heartbreaking moment to learn that the police, without thorough investigation, lumped this minor together with four adults he had never seen before and accused them collectively of committing armed robbery with cutlasses,” Effiong recounted.
The alleged victims reportedly claimed that they were robbed of cash and four mobile phones valued at ₦579,000. However, Effiong, after a two-hour interview with Quadri at Kirikiri prison, voiced his confidence in the boy’s innocence.
“From our interaction and independent findings, we strongly believe that Alabi Quadri is an innocent victim, caught in the web of a broken justice system,” he said.
Despite being under 18, Quadri has been arraigned multiple times in court alongside adults and is currently incarcerated with them, in clear violation of child rights and detention standards. He remains in custody pending legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Effiong has vowed to pursue all available legal options to secure the young boy’s release, asserting that no stone will be left unturned in the fight for justice.
“We are committed to exploring every legal and constitutional remedy to ensure Alabi regains his freedom. We owe it to him and to every other child suffering under similar conditions to keep pushing for justice,” he declared, promising to share updates as the case develops.
The case of Alabi Quadri has sparked outrage online and renewed calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, particularly in the treatment of minors and the arbitrary use of power by law enforcement.
