From Viral Photo to Kirikiri: Alabi Quadri's Tales of Detention
"Quadri Recounts His Duty of Clearing Feces in Detention, as Documented in a Viral Image Alongside Peter Obi"
Step into the shoes of Alabi Quadri, the 17-year-old who captured the limelight during the 2023 elections, standing in front of Peter Obi's campaign motorcade. Recounting his harrowing detention stint at the infamous Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Alabi sheds light on a side of political fame that rarely gets discussed.
In an exclusive interview on Channels Television, Alabi recalls the beginning of his ordeal. He was arrested by cops following an altercation in his community, unaware that the viral photo had put him in the crosshairs of some disgruntled individuals [1].
According to our reports, Quadri reveals that this momentous picture might've made him a target, with people threatening his family. He mentions a chilling conversation, where somebody warned his mother that the money given to him would be split or else she wouldn't see him again [1]. The threat of kidnapping loomed large over him.
Being ambushed by local area boys and handed over to the police, Alabi didn't know a conflict was brewing in his area on the day of his arrest. His daily tasks in Kirikiri, he says, included cleaning up filth from morning to six in the evening, as he couldn't afford to pay the marshall [1].
At the police station, he found himself locked in a cell with older men - strangers he had never met [1]. In Kirikiri, the nightmare deepened, with Alabi experiencing abuse and forced labor [2][3]. Detained in an adult prison, concerns were raised about the mistreatment of minors within the Nigerian justice system [4].
Alabi was finally freed from prison on April 17, 2025, after nearly three months [5]. His arrest and detention sparked a national debate, underscoring the need for reforms in the handling of minors within the justice system [4].
- The 2023 elections in Lagos, Nigeria, brought a spotlight on Alabi Quadri, a 17-year-old who was arrested by the police following an altercation despite standing in front of Peter Obi's campaign motorcade, making a viral photo.
- Alabi, in an exclusive interview on Channels Television, revealed that the viral photo might have made him a target, with people threatening his family, including a chilling warning about kidnapping.
- Ambushed by local area boys and handed over to the police, Alabi was unaware of the brewing conflict in his area on the day of his arrest.
- Inside the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Alabi experienced abuse, forced labor, and concerns were raised about the mistreatment of minors within the Nigerian justice system.
- After nearly three months, Alabi was finally freed from prison on April 17, 2025.
- The arrest, detention, and subsequent release of Alabi sparked a national debate and underscored the need for reforms in the handling of minors within the justice system, a deepening issue in Nigerian politics, crime, and justice news.
