Obi intervenes as minor who stood in front of his convoy in 2023 spends third month in prison |

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi, has intervened in the case of the teenager who stood in front of his convoy ahead of the elections, Alabi Quadri, who is spending his third month in Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Lagos State.

The former governor made this known on his X handle on Tuesday night, adding that he has contacted a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, over the case.

He tweeted: “I was made aware of the predicament of a young boy named Quadri Yusuf Alabi, who has been detained for over three months without trial, appeared in court for the first time in March, and still remains held in custody.

“I have contacted a lawyer, Barrister Inibehe Effiong, who, luckily, has been actively working to intensify his release. 

“I sincerely appeal to the police and other agents of the government to always operate within the law and the rules and stop weaponizing citizens, especially our youths, who need our care and love to unleash their talents and energy towards building a new Nigeria that is possible.”

Effiong, who said he visited Quadri in prison alongside his family members, revealed that he was forcefully taken to the police station by some young men over claims that he was among a group of robbers in the community.

He said the teenager has been in custody since January.

He said the teenager’s mother attributed Quadri’s ordeal to the refusal of his family to share the money he received from Obi and popular socialist, Obi Cubana, with street urchins after he met with the former two-term Anambra State governor during his presidential campaign in 2023.

Effiong said: “After abducting Alabi, the same area boys who have been threatening to deal with him for not sharing the money he was gifted dragged him to the Amukoko Police Station (Pako Police Station), where he was detained. 

“The area boys initially claimed that Alabi was one of the young men who had been involved in street fights.

“However, 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.

“The police in the charge sheet alleged that the two victims were robbed of money and four mobile phones.

“The value of both the physical cash and four phones is N579,000 only.

“I spent about two hours interviewing Alabi about the veracity of the charges brought by the police.

“Speaking objectively, we all left Kirikiri with a strong conviction that this gentleman is just another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

“The last point that we want to state on the record is that Alabi is a minor. 

“He is less than 18 years old.

“Currently, Alabi has appeared before the Magistrate on three occasions.

“The court remanded him along with the four strange individuals who are all adults at the custodial centre pending legal advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions.”

Effiong promised that he and his team would do everything legally possible to secure the freedom of Quadri.

END.

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