Once celebrated for his courage during the 2023 presidential campaigns, 17-year-old Quadri Alabi has now become the face of a different kind of struggle — one marked by fear, extortion, and injustice. The teenager, who went viral for boldly standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy, recently opened up about his traumatic experience in detention.
Alabi, speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television alongside his lawyer, renowned human rights advocate Inibehe Effiong, recounted how he was humiliated and forced to carry human waste during his time behind bars.
“They treated me like an orphan,” he said. “I was forced to carry faeces every day because I didn’t have the money to secure my release.”
His ordeal reportedly began when local hoodlums demanded a share of the donation he received after his viral photo made headlines during the 2023 elections. “Some people told my mum that if we didn’t share the money, I would be kidnapped,” he explained. “When she asked why, they said the money wasn’t just mine. But my mum asked them if they would still be asking for a share if I had been shot that day.”
The threats turned into reality one day as Alabi was returning home from work as a motor boy, helping transport fish to Port Harcourt. He said he was ambushed near his home, wrongfully accused of crimes he didn’t commit, and handed over to the police by the same group of hoodlums.
“As I was opening the gate to my compound, they grabbed me and told the police I had destroyed property and stolen a phone. Meanwhile, they took my own phone and the money I earned that day,” he said.
Locked up with older inmates, the teenager said he had never met the people in his cell and was the youngest among them. His release finally came on April 17 when the Magistrates’ Court in Apapa dismissed the charges based on the legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins.
Now back home, Alabi is hoping for a fresh start. He expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support and shared his dream of gaining an education and learning a skill.
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“I want to go to school and live there because some people are still stalking me,” he said. “I want to learn a skill so I can become a better person.”
Alabi’s story has sparked conversations around youth vulnerability, justice system abuse, and the long road from public attention to personal security.
