…Says Nigeria happened to him
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, has waded into the alleged unjust incarceration of Alabi Quadri, the little boy who stood in front of Peter Obi’s Presidential campaign convoy during the 2023 electioneering period declaring that “Nigeria happened to him,” a popular phrase meaning that the country failed him.
Alabi, a minor has been detained at the Kirikiri Minimum Security Custodial Centre in Lagos since January.
Following reports of his incarceration, Mr Inibehe visited the prison on Wednesday and described the situation as another example of the failings of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
In a preliminary statement issued on Wednesday via X, Effiong disclosed that he visited the Magistrate Court of Lagos, Apapa Magisterial District, on April 9, 2025, to ascertain the circumstances surrounding Quadri’s arrest and detention.
He was accompanied by a colleague from his law firm, Quadri’s mother and family members, and a social activist who 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.
According to Effiong, both Quadri and his mother believe his ordeal stemmed from a long-standing grudge held by local youths who felt entitled to a share of a monetary gift he received after an encounter with Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
“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 said the group, angry over not receiving a share, abducted Quadri and took him to Amukoko Police Station, accusing him of involvement in street fights. The situation escalated 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.
According to him, the police alleged that the victims were robbed of money and four mobile phones, with a total value of ₦579,000.
Effiong, who spent about two hours interviewing Quadri, stated that he was convinced the boy is innocent.
“Speaking objectively, we all left Kirikiri with a strong conviction that this gentleman is just another victim of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” he said.
Effiong also stressed that Quadri is a minor, under 18 years old, yet had appeared in court three times and is being held with adult co-defendants, pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
He pledged to pursue all legal avenues to secure the boy’s release.
“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 said.
