In just four days, over ₦10 million has been raised to support Quadri Alabi, a teenager whose viral moment with Peter Obi’s campaign convoy turned into a nightmare. The donations are meant to help him leave his troubled neighborhood and rebuild his life after facing repeated harassment and what his lawyer calls a wrongful arrest.
The funds were raised after human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong appeared alongside Alabi on Channels TV, where he shared the boy’s story in detail. Effiong said Alabi was unfairly arrested and charged for a violent incident he had nothing to do with. According to him, the police falsely recorded Alabi’s age as 18, even though he is 17, to justify remanding him in custody with adult suspects.
Alabi’s troubles began after a photo of him went viral during Peter Obi’s campaign tour in 2023. In the picture, he’s seen running toward Obi’s convoy with his hands raised — a moment that captured national attention and brought him brief fame. But that fame quickly became a burden.
Effiong said local troublemakers, often referred to as “area boys,” began to harass Alabi and his family. They accused him of not sharing money they believed he had received from public donations and demanded that his mother organize a community feast. When she refused, they began threatening the family.
“This is actually the second time these same individuals, with support from the Amukoko Police, targeted him,” Effiong said. “The first time, he was quietly detained. The second time, in January, he was returning home from work when he was arrested by area boys.”
Alabi was later handed over to the police and accused of being part of a street fight. He was locked up for a week and then taken to court with four adults he had never met. No proper investigation was done, and no evidence linked him to the alleged crime.
The magistrate eventually released him after legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babajide Martins. During the case, the court also noted the issue of age falsification but said there wasn’t enough information to dispute the police report.
Alabi recalled his arrest: “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.”
Effiong confirmed that more than ₦10 million has now been raised to relocate Alabi and provide a stable source of income for his mother, who earns a living as a petty trader. “This shows the strength of the Nigerian spirit,” he said.
