17-Year-Old Boy Who Went Viral For Standing In Front Of Peter Obi’s Convoy Recounts Traumatic Experience In Prison
17-year-old Quadri Yusuf Alabi, who became a viral sensation after a photo of him standing in front of the convoy of Peter Obi during the 2023 general election, surfaced online, has spoken about his traumatic experience while remanded in prison.
According to reports, Quadri was arrested by the police in January 2025, arraigned in court and has been in prison custody since then.
The teen’s plight was brought to the public last week by a young lady who asked that Nigerians rise up to ensure the teenager gets justice and is set freed.
While the police claim Quadri was arrested and charged in connection with a violent street fight in the Amukoko area of Lagos earlier this year, Quadri insisted that he was framed.
While speaking on Channels TV this morning, Quadri stated that up until the day he was arrested, he served as a motor boy to a driver who travelled around to deliver fish.
He mentioned that on the day he was arrested, he had just finished the day’s job, collected his money from his boss and was heading home.
He mentioned that he had just arrived at the gate to his compound when some police officers accosted him and accused him of being part of those who had recently had a street fight.
Quadri said that is how he was picked up and then taken to the station. He mentioned that of all the people who were arrested, he was the youngest of them.
Speaking further, Quadri claimed that while he was in prison, his duty was to evacuate faeces from the pit hole that serves as their toilet, and he did that everyday till his release. He stated that he wants to go to school and needs all the help he can get.
Meanwhile, over N10 million has so far been raised for Quadri by well-meaning Nigerians.
This was disclosed by Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong. Effiong stated this during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, where he appeared alongside Quadri.
He accused officers of the Amukoko Police Division of falsifying Alabi’s age and collaborating with local area boys to frame him for a crime he did not commit.
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Quadri who was arrested earlier this year, was later freed by Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi based on legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins.
Effiong alleged that some police officers subjected the teen to an internal police trial as part of what he described as “an evil, sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme” orchestrated with support from area boys.
“The boy sitting next to me, Quadri Alabi, as you know, went viral in 2023 during one of Peter Obi’s campaign tours. He spontaneously jumped in front of the convoy, raised his hand, and the photo went viral. That moment changed his life,”
Effiong said.
He added that the publicity brought Quadri fame and donations, which soon attracted harassment. Effiong continued:
“Local area boys began extorting him, saying he hadn’t ‘settled’ them. They even told his mother to buy a cow, cook rice, and throw a feast for the community. When she refused, the threats continued.”
Effiong stated that this was not the first time the area boys had targeted Quadri. He added:
“The second time, in January, he was returning home from work when he was arrested by area boys known as Leggy and Baba Waris. They claimed he ignored them despite the money he had received from Peter Obi and handed him over to the police.”
He further alleged that Quadri was detained illegally for a week and eventually charged alongside four adult men he had never met before. Effiong said:
“They accused him of armed robbery said to have occurred on January 22 at 10 p.m. No identification parade was conducted, and there was no evidence linking him to the crime.”
On the issue of age falsification, Effiong said the police deliberately stated Alabi’s age as 18 to allow his trial in a regular court. He claimed:
“The police falsely claimed he was 18 in court documents. If they had said he was 17, the court would have treated the matter differently—possibly not even remanding him in a regular prison.”
Quadri, recounting his experience, said,
“I was just at the entrance of my house when the police came and arrested me. The area boys pointed me out. At the station, I was the youngest there. I was locked up with older men. They asked me what I did, and I said nothing.”
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He added that the area boys had earlier taken his phone and money before handing him over to the police.
On the donations, Effiong confirmed that support from Nigerians had been overwhelming. He stated:
“We’ve raised over N10 million in just four days for Quadri. The goal is to relocate him from Amukoko and secure a source of income for his mother, who is a petty trader. This shows the strength of the Nigerian spirit.”
Watch a video of him speaking below;
‘My Duty In Prison Was To Clean Faeces Daily’, Quadri Alabi Shares Traumatic Story#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/4n4yhHnBVH
— Channels Television (@channelstv) April 21, 2025