The Magistrate Court in Apapa has freed the 17-year-old minor, Alabi Quadri, who went viral ahead of the 2023 general elections for standing in front of the convoy of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi freed him following the legal advise of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“We are excited to announce that Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the 17-year-old teenager who gained fame during the 2023 elections after he spontaneously jumped and stood in front of the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has been freed by the court today, 17th April, 2025,” his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, announced in a post on X on Thursday.
Effiong described his arrest and detention as a “diabolical frame-up” allegedly orchestrated by local thugs in the Amukoko area.
The local thugs reportedly abducted Alabi near his home and handed him over to the police, accusing him of being involved in a street fight.
According to Effiong, the boy had faced threats from the said individuals since 2023 over donations he received from supporters of Obi.
Alabi’s family was also reportedly pressured by local leaders to appease the community by buying a cow and hosting a feast.
Giving an insight into what transpired in court, the lawyer said: “The court found that Alabi Quadri has no case to answer, he was involved in armed robbery and there was no basis for him to be arrested. So Quadri was discharged today and has been set free. He is going to come home in the next few minutes once the magistrate has signed his release warrant.”
