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The Lagos State Police Command said that he did not know the legal advice issued by the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) who recommended Non-Practice Quadri Alabi, a teenager who received national attention during the Presidential Campaign season 2023 for establishing in front of the Labor Party candidate Peter Obi.
Speaking to Brief Morning, the television program channel, Police Commissioner Jimoh Moshood stated that the police had not received formal communication regarding legal direction that caused alabi release.
“Police action ended when a problem was brought to court,” Moshood said. “The lawyer yesterday mentioned the DPP, but to this day, we have not seen the DPP’s suggestion. We do not know whether it recommended a guarantee, liberation, or dismissal. We will verify what the document actually said.”
Quadri Alabi, 17, was arrested and returned to the Kikiriririr Penitentiary Center for armed robbery charges that triggered public anger after legal advisors and human rights activists claiming that he was detained wrongly over the orders of local thugs, commonly referred to as “regional boys.”
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According to Moshood, Alabi claimed to be 18 years old in his official police statement, a detail that, he insisted, guided police actions and caused his detention. “In his statement, the boy said he was 18 years old, and that was recorded like that,” said the Commissioner. “Even if someone is 17 years old and says they are 18 years old, they will be treated accordingly.”
He further doubted the authenticity of the birth certificate presented in court by this Human Rights Lawyer, Effiong, who had represented Alabi. “The birth certificate was not issued by telephone,” Moshood said. “We all know how the documents are processed. In this age of artificial intelligence, anything can be treated.”
When pressed whether the court had received age documents, Moshood answered, “You and I am not in court. We need to verify that.”
Moshood also denied that alabi statement was obtained under pressure, saying, “Being under pressure or irrelevant in terms of stating your age or biological details.”
Apart from the police’s attitude, the court process tells a different story. On April 17, the Judge Court was freeing Alabi based on the legal advice of Dr. Babajide Martins, Director of Public Prosecution for Lagos State, which concluded that there was no evidence that connected Minor, or Co-Co-Accused Muiz Animashaun, with any robbery.
Since then, Effiong has called for disciplinary actions against Division Police officers (DPOs) from the Amukoko Division, accusing him of collaborating with local criminals for mistakenly involving alabi.
“All arrests and detention are corrupt schemes designed by ‘naughty areas,” Effiong said, maintaining that the boy was a victim of abuse of power and systemic failure.
When the police vow to study the DPP’s suggestions and verify the documents presented in the court, supporters of human rights require broader accountability and conversation about the rights of minors, integrity of the judicial system, and the power possessed by informal groups in the Nigerian City Center.
For now, Quadri Alabi is free but the trials leave an eternal question about the legal process, protection for those who are vulnerable, and the boundaries of police authorities.
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