The Apapa Magistrate Court has discharged and acquitted Alabi Quadri of conspiracy and armed robbery, stating he had no case to answer.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, April 17, by Court 9 of the Apapa Magistrate Court, sitting at Orege, Ajegunle—Sikiru Adagun Courthouse. Quadri, who became a national symbol of courage during the 2023 general elections, had spent months in Kirikiri Prison.
Quadri became a sensation after a viral video showed him standing boldly in front of the convoy of then-Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during a campaign stop.
Though the hearing was initially scheduled for April 28, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong and the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, jointly requested an earlier date, which the court approved. The Nigerian Correctional Service subsequently produced Quadri in court for the hearing.
Effiong, who appeared in court with Quadri’s mother and other legal representatives, described the case as one rooted in local malice.
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He stated that the teenager’s detention was orchestrated by some self-proclaimed ‘area boys’ in his neighbourhood, who had previously harassed Quadri and felt entitled to the attention and financial support he received after his viral moment.
Quadri was allegedly abducted in January while returning from work and taken to Amukoko Police Station commonly known as Pako by the said individuals.
He was later arraigned with four others—strangers to him—on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery with cutlasses. The charge sheet claimed that N579,000 in cash and four mobile phones were stolen.
Despite being a minor, Quadri was detained in Kirikiri Prison with adult inmates, pending legal advice from the Lagos State DPP.
Effiong insisted that the charges lacked merit and were driven by a personal vendetta. With the court’s verdict now in his favour, Quadri has regained his freedom, bringing to a close a troubling chapter marked by injustice and public outcry.
Crediblenewsng.com
