As Quadri Alabi, who was the Labour Party former presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s poster boy during the 2023 election, joined Christians to celebrate the Easter season, his smile and openness with other teenagers betrayed the pain the 17-year-old had been subjected to while inside the Kirikiri prison for three months in the state.
Alabi, who was roped into robbery which prompted his attachment with some suspected robbers by the Lagos Police Command, was arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court in Apapa and further remanded in prison.
The teenager, while inside the facility, could not understand how after been arrested for wandering by the law enforcement officers was later adjusted to been involved in violent attacks, public disturbance and robbery in his neighbourhood, even when he was outside the state when the incident occurred.
While still battling with that, the teenager, who was an assistant to a truck driver, could not understand how the police adjusted his age before Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi to 18years old when his age was truly less than that.
During this period, the teenager was said to have been livid with anger following the torture that he was subjected to inside the prison over his inability to allegedly bribe the prison warders for a better cell inside the premises.
Not accepting his fate, Alabi was said to have informed the mother to and other relatives to go online and get Nigerians support after he went viral ahead of the 2023 general elections for standing in front of the convoy of a former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The move and other physical legal work from his counsel prompted the Magistrate to request advise of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) on Alabi’s case and another suspect, Muiz Animashaun.
In his legal advice, the DPP recommended the non-prosecution of Alabi and Animashaun, who were both standing trial alongside three others for the offence of armed robbery.
Narrating his ordeal on Monday, Alabi noted that his trouble started after Obi gifted him money and his picture went viral on different social media platforms prior to the 2023 presidential election in the country.
He noted that some residents of Amukoko, who were allegedly envious of him, had allegedly demanded that he give them from the money received from Peter Obi during his campaign in Lagos State.
The teenager stated that his mother kicked against the recommendation, leading to his arrest and false accusation of robbery before the police who did not engage in any thorough investigation but linked him to the crime within the community and arraigned him before the Apapa magistrate court.
Alabi disclosed that after he and others were remanded, the prison warders allocated a cell to them based on their financial capacity, saying I was placed in a cell that does not befit human habitation.
The freed teenager stressed that whenever he remember the three months spent inside the facility, he does prayed not to return to the prison again.
“I am not happy that I was sent to Kirikiri prison in Lagos State. I cannot forget my time inside the prison because I worked inside the prison more than what I would have done outside. When I got into the prison, I was treated like an outcast. I remember that daily, I clean the faeces inside the cell. And the reason for this is that I do not have money to bribe my way through and get better cell while I was inside the premises”.
