The Apapa Magistrate in Lagos State ordered the immediate release of teenagers from the Amendment Centre.
The Magistrate’s Court in Apapa, Lagos has released 17-year-old Arabi Quadri. He went viral ahead of the 2023 general election as he stands in front of former Labour presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Magistrate Adetola Ororunfemi ordered the release of teenager Arabi on Thursday following legal advice from the Lagos State Prosecutor’s Office (DPP).
Human rights lawyer and activist Inibehe Efiong confirmed the development in a statement issued Wednesday.
He said the Nigerian Corrections Department will produce teenage quadris by 9am on Thursday in front of the Court of Justice Apapa Magistrate’s Court, Shikir Addagun (Council No. 9), Orege and Ajegunru.
“We are pleased to share that Quadri Alabi will be produced by the Nigerian Correctional Services authorities before the court by 9am tomorrow,” Eficiong said in a statement.
Quadri’s case is a painful example of corrupt corruption, monster immunity and widespread injustice in the Nigerian police.
Efion made it clear that he visited Magistrates Court in the Apapa Magician District on April 9th to confirm the circumstances surrounding the arrest and continued detention of teenagers Arabi.
“You can see that Arabi has been in custody since January. He was accused of the ‘Area Boys’ near his home while he was returning from work,” Efion said.
According to him, Arabi and his mother believe his ordeal was caused by a long-standing grem held by local youths who felt entitled to receive some of the financial gifts they received after their viral encounter with Mr. Obi.
“His painful walk to prison can be attributed to the long-term malicious intent that was nursed by boys from several self-proclaimed areas in his area who felt an unexpected distribution of property that came to Arabian paths while standing before Peter Obi during his final election campaign.”
Efion said the teenager had been in custody since January after being accused of local thugs who identified Arabi as “reggae” and “baba warriors,” who allegedly have responsiveness to the financial contributions he received after his viral encounter with Obi.
“These self-expressed local boys felt that they had adjusted the demonic frame-up to punish him after the unexpected distribution of property that the Arabian path came,” Efion said.
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The teenager was taken to the Amcoco (Paco) police station by the group, who accused him of being involved in a street fight.
There is no evidence
Police then charged him and four other people.
His case was originally scheduled for a hearing on April 28th. However, Efion revealed that he and the DPP had jointly requested an earlier date.
However, the DPP’s legal advice said there was no evidence to support the charges and would lead to the court’s decision to release him.
“In his legal advice, the DPP recommended that Quadri be declaring. In response, the chairman left him out of hospital,” Eficiong wrote in X’s post.
He added that despite the teenager Quadri being a minor, police recorded his age as 18 and remanded it with the adults.
The incident caught the public eye earlier this month after Hassana Nurdeen, co-founder of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, was in the spotlight.
Efion has since sought disciplinary action against officers at Amcoco Police Station, including investigating department police officers and police officers.
He also called for a public apology and N100 million compensation for what he described as a serious miscarriage of justice.
“The Quadri case is a painful example of corrupt corruption, monster immunity and popular in the Nigerian police,” Efion said.
