A magistrate court in Lagos has freed Alabi Quadri, the teenager who went viral in the buildup to the 2023 presidential election.
He appeared in court on Thursday, after spending several months in Kirikiri Prison, Lagos.
Quadri was cleared of charges bordering on conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery, with the court ruling that he had no case to answer.
The magistrate, Adetola Olorunfemi ordered the release of Quadri following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The DPP had averred that there is no evidence to substantiate the armed robbery allegation against the minor.
The young Nigerian became a national symbol of courage during the 2023 general elections for bravely standing in front of the convoy of then-Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The Nigerian Correctional Service presented him before the Apapa Magistrate Court, even though his case was originally scheduled for hearing on April 28, 2025.
However, human rights lawyer and activist Inibehe Effiong, disclosed that both he and the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, requested the date be brought forward, a request the court approved.
Effiong had revealed that Alabi Quadri’s recent ordeal in the Nigerian prison system was not due to any serious criminal offence, but rather the result of long-standing resentment from some self-proclaimed ‘area boys’ (local thugs) in his community.
