Prominent human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has revealed that over ₦10 million has been raised within just four days to support Quadri Alabi, the teenager who gained national attention in 2023 after boldly stepping in front of Peter Obi’s campaign convoy.
Effiong made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, April 21, where he appeared alongside Alabi. He also accused the police of falsifying the boy’s age, recording him as 18 in official documents to facilitate his prosecution, despite being 17 at the time.
Alabi was recently released after being wrongfully arrested and charged in connection with a violent street fight in Lagos’ Amukoko area. His release was ordered by Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins.
Effiong described the case as part of a “sinister and corrupt scheme” allegedly orchestrated by rogue police officers and local area boys who, he claimed, sought to exploit Alabi after his brief rise to prominence.
“After his viral encounter with Peter Obi, area boys began extorting him,” Effiong explained. “They demanded that he throw a party for the community—buy a cow, cook rice. When his mother refused, the threats intensified.”
Effiong said Alabi was later abducted on his way home by two local gang members, identified as Leggy and Baba Waris, who handed him over to the police with false claims of his involvement in a fight. He was detained at the Amukoko Police Division, allegedly without proper charges, and arraigned in court on January 27.
“He was charged alongside four adults he had never met and accused of armed robbery—with no identification parade or evidence linking him to the crime,” Effiong said.
He also accused the police of manipulating Alabi’s age to ensure he could be treated as an adult. “They listed his age as 18 so he could be remanded in a regular prison. The magistrate noticed the inconsistency but said she had to act on the records presented.”
Recalling his ordeal, Alabi said, “I was standing at the entrance of our house when area boys pointed me out to the police. They had already taken my phone and the money I had on me. I was the youngest in the cell.”
Following the public outcry, a crowdfunding campaign was launched to help relocate Alabi and support his family. “We’ve raised over ₦10 million in four days,” Effiong confirmed. “Our aim is to move Quadri out of Amukoko and provide a stable livelihood for his mother, a petty trader. This outpouring of support shows the incredible compassion and solidarity of ordinary Nigerians.”
