A Lagos magistrate court has ordered the release of Alabi Quadri, the teenager who gained widespread attention during the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election.
Quadri, who had spent several months at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility, appeared before the court on Thursday.
He was discharged of allegations relating to conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery, with Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi ruling that he had no case to answer.
His release followed legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, who concluded that there was no substantial evidence to support the armed robbery claims against the teenager.
Alabi Quadri rose to national prominence for his bold stance during the 2023 general elections, when he stood defiantly in front of the convoy of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Although his court hearing was originally slated for April 28, 2025, the Nigerian Correctional Service brought him before the Apapa Magistrate Court earlier.
This change in schedule came after requests by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong and the DPP to expedite the proceedings, which the court granted.
Effiong noted that Quadri’s prolonged incarceration stemmed not from a serious criminal act, but rather from lingering animosity harbored by some self-acclaimed ‘area boys’ in his neighborhood.
