After months of detention at the Kirikiri correctional facility, 17-year-old Alabi Quadri, who gained attention for standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy during the 2023 presidential election, has been released.

His freedom came after a legal review from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, who cleared him of the armed robbery charges that led to his arrest.

Magistrate Adetola Olorunfemi of the Apapa Magistrate’s Court discharged Quadri on Wednesday after the DPP’s legal advice confirmed that there was no credible evidence to support the allegations.

The case against him was officially dismissed.

Quadri was arrested in January under controversial circumstances.

He was allegedly abducted by two self-proclaimed area boys, Lege and Baba Waris, near his home in the Amukoko area of Lagos.

They reportedly handed him over to the police at the Amukoko Divisional Police Headquarters, also known as Pako Police Station.

According to his family, Quadri was returning home from work when he was forcefully taken.

His legal team and relatives assert that the arrest stemmed from resentment among local area boys who were upset because Quadri had not shared the financial gifts he received after going viral during the election season.

Despite being underage, police officials misrepresented Quadri’s age, claiming he was 18, and charged him alongside four adult suspects with no clear connection to him.

These charges included involvement in an armed robbery incident on January 22, 2025.

Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, had earlier defended the arrest, citing testimonies from local residents and victims who identified Quadri as one of the individuals involved in the robbery and disturbance.

However, Quadri’s lawyer, Mr Inibehe Effiong, rejected the charges as unfounded.

In a statement titled “Nigeria has happened to Alabi Quadri,” Effiong condemned the abuse of police authority and the wrongful detention of his client.

Effiong also described difficulties in obtaining the case files and court records from the Apapa Magistrate’s Court, prompting him and Quadri’s family to visit Kirikiri prison, where they learned about the circumstances surrounding the detention.

Effiong explained, “It emerged from the visit that Alabi’s journey to prison began when some self-acclaimed area boys, feeling entitled to a share of the unexpected fortune that came his way as a result of that viral video, started threatening him.”

He added that the Baale (local leader) of the community allegedly pressured the family to appease the area boys by buying a cow and food for them.

The lawyer accused the police of complicity in a conspiracy, stating that they falsely linked Quadri to four unrelated adult suspects and fabricated his age as 18.

He described the arrest as part of a wider scheme to exploit the teenager.

Effiong’s public advocacy, along with support from prison reform advocate Hassana Nurudeen of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, prompted swift legal action to secure Quadri’s release.

Now free, Effiong is demanding N100 million in compensation from the Nigeria Police Force and an official public apology.

He also called for disciplinary actions against those responsible for the wrongful arrest, particularly the Divisional Police Officer of Amukoko Division and the Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Odigbe Samuel.

“If the above three remedial demands are not fully complied with immediately, we shall initiate legal actions to seek redress,” Effiong warned.

In his statement, Effiong criticized the systemic failures within Nigeria’s justice and policing systems.

“There are many Quadris languishing in detention centres across Nigeria because of the unbridled criminality, lawlessness, and lack of accountability in the Police institution and the weakness of the justice system,” he said.

A disturbing case of domestic violence in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State has left a seven-year-old boy, Abubakar Sani, permanently disabled after enduring severe abuse from his father and stepmother.

According to the Kaduna State Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, the boy’s father, Sani Tanimi Maishago, allegedly tied his legs and poured boiling water on them in punishment for stealing biscuits.

The horrific act caused critical injuries that led to the amputation of both legs below the knees.

Doctors at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, where the child was rushed for emergency care, said the procedure was necessary to save his life.

“The amputation has resulted in a permanent disability,” said the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr Abdulkadir Musa.

“But the child could be fitted with artificial limbs in the future.”

In addition to the physical abuse, the ministry revealed that the young boy had been locked up for over 20 days without proper nutrition.

Speaking at the hospital where she visited the victim, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Salisu, expressed profound sadness.

“This is a heartbreaking case,” she said. “The child was subjected to inhumane treatment by those meant to protect him.”

The commissioner confirmed that both the father and the stepmother have been arrested and are currently in police custody.

“They will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations,” she assured.

She also emphasized the state government’s resolve to fully implement the Child Protection Law.

“Kaduna will not tolerate child abuse, domestic violence, or rape in any form,” Salisu stated.

Dr Musa, while addressing journalists, urged parents to adopt non-violent methods in child discipline.

“We call on parents to exercise patience and restraint when correcting their children,” he said.

“Violent discipline can lead to irreversible consequences.”

A member of the House of Representatives, Daniel Asama, has alleged that security operatives are fully aware of the identities and hideouts of those responsible for the ongoing wave of attacks in Plateau State, which he described as a form of genocide.

Asama, who represents Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, made the allegation during an appearance on Channels Television on Thursday.

He lamented the scale of violence that has claimed over 100 lives in the past two weeks and accused security forces of inaction.

“The security agencies know where these attacks have been coming from. They know the direction. The people in the community can show them the routes,” Asama said.

“I don’t believe for a moment that security operatives are unaware of the attackers’ locations. If they engage the locals, they will get the information they need.”

The lawmaker described the attacks as deliberate and targeted, aimed at displacing communities in what he believes is an orchestrated effort at land grabbing.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), led by Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has commiserated with Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang over the recurring violence in the state.

In a condolence message delivered yesterday, the NGF expressed deep sorrow over the bloodshed and called for an immediate end to the carnage.

“There can’t be any meaningful development in a state of violence. The cycle of violence must stop,” Abdulrazaq said, while urging security operatives to rise to the occasion and defend citizens.

Governor Mutfwang, in response, appreciated the governors’ solidarity, noting that the entire state was grieving.

“This recent happening took us by surprise, but we will not relent,” he said.

“We will not allow these attacks to derail our administration’s commitment to peace and justice.”

The Kwara governor also urged community leaders and influencers to rally around efforts to foster unity and sustainable peace.

“We call on leaders and influencers across all communities and sectors in Plateau to join the governor in the task of uniting the people and restoring sustainable peace. Leaders should come together to speak strongly against violence of any kind.”

“We urge the good people of Plateau to resolve all differences through dialogue, fair negotiations, mutual respect, and perspective taking,” Abdulrazaq said.

In a separate reaction, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded that the National Assembly initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his administration’s failure to end the killings in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country.

HURIWA warned that it might be compelled to escalate the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague if the situation persists.

“The Nigerian Constitution, in clear terms, stated that ‘the primary duty of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,’” the group said.

“The President has all the powers to quell any insurgency in any part of the country, but such has not been enforced.”

HURIWA also called on Tinubu to deploy the full weight of his constitutional authority to bring what it described as genocidal violence to an immediate end.

Eight persons, including a traditional priestess and four farmers, have been reportedly abducted by suspected kidnappers in Ohebe Orba, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

DAILY GAZETTE gathered that the incident occurred on Wednesday night, April 16, 2025.

The priestess, along with three other worshippers, was said to be heading to a nearby river for rituals when they were intercepted and taken away by the gunmen.

The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N50 million but later reduced their demand to N15 million after contacting the families of the victims.

Confirming the worsening security situation, Senator Okey Ezea, who represents Enugu North Senatorial District, said: “Kidnappers and Fulani herdsmen have taken over Enugu North Senatorial Zone including Nsukka.”

The latest incident comes just a day after 15 abducted individuals were released from captivity at the Ibagwa Agu farm settlement in Nsukka Local Government Area.

They were freed on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

This development follows a similar case reported on April 12, when 13 individuals, including Maurice Osmond, his son, and another child, were kidnapped in the Ibagwa Agu community, also in Nsukka LGA.

The kidnappers reportedly demanded N10 million ransom for each victim.

While the Enugu State Police Command has made recent strides in combating kidnapping, including a raid in October 2024 where two suspected kidnappers were neutralized and a victim rescued, the frequency of abductions remains alarming.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has described social media as a terrorist organisation, calling on security agencies to confront its growing influence and disruptive potential.

Speaking during the 7th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held behind closed doors in Maiduguri, Borno State, the monarch expressed strong disapproval of the negative role social media plays in spreading falsehoods and inciting unrest.

He declared, “Social media is one terrorist organisation. Somebody can sit in the comfort of their home and formulate stories, and you will consider that it is true.

Social media is a terrorist organisation that we must deal with. Security agencies must deal with this terrorist organisation called social media.”

The Sultan also addressed the continuing violence in Plateau and other parts of the country, strongly condemning the loss of innocent lives and urging swift action from political leaders and law enforcement.

“Our coming together as traditional rulers in the North, I believe, we have more than 86 in the North. We will speak with one voice to say ‘enough is enough’ of this senseless killing of innocent people across the North and the country.

“We have released so many statements of condemnation, but how many times do we need to condemn these killings before our political leaders and security agencies stop or reduce the insecurity in the country to the barest minimum?

“We, the traditional rulers, feel bad and saddened when our people are killed by people we don’t know. It’s high time we worked harder, talked to ourselves and in a closed-door meeting, discuss it.”

“We shall advise our political leaders, they are at the helm of affairs and we will work with them,” he said.

A member of the House of Representatives from Kano State, Alhassan Kabiru Rirum, has issued a warning to local hunters from his constituency, urging them to desist from traveling to southern Nigeria with dangerous weapons.

Rirum, who represents Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya Federal Constituency, expressed concern that transporting such weapons could provoke unrest.

He made the remarks on Thursday during a condolence visit to the families of 16 hunters killed in Uromi, Edo State.

The former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly visited Torankawa village in Bunkure Local Government Area to commiserate with the bereaved and emphasized that such movement of hunters is outdated and potentially dangerous.

According to him, “The present-day Nigeria requires people doing businesses or traditions that would not create any suspicion that might result in uncertainties.”

Rirum, a member of the Aniebonam-led faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), donated N5 million to support the grieving families.

He also pledged to sponsor a bill in the National Assembly to address the safety concerns surrounding local hunters and their interaction with host communities.

He stated, “Carrying dangerous Weapons and moving around with them from one end to another in this sensitive period of Insecurity in the land will surely send a bad signal and result in causing chaos, therefore, our hunters should henceforth stop it.”

Rirum recounted a recent incident involving hunters from his hometown, saying, “Just recently, over 30 of my Rano Hometown Hunters were apprehended in Ondo State, I had to personally go and see the Governor and show every evidence that they are not Criminals before he worked out for their release.”

He added, “If those people in Ondo who arrested our Rano Hunters were as senseless as those of Uromi, what do you think would have happened? The story would have been different by now.”

Also commenting on the matter, factional NNPP Chairman in Kano, Senator Masaud Jibrin Eldoguwa, said he was deeply affected by the incident but hoped it would serve as a lesson.

Eldoguwa said plans were underway to commence construction on a promised school, aimed at giving hope to the children of the slain hunters.

“The aim was to give the children of those killed hope that they are not neglected,” he said.

Meanwhile, Edo State Governor Monday Akpoholo had earlier visited the bereaved families three weeks ago, accompanied by top members of his cabinet.

He vowed that justice would be served and those behind the killings would be brought to book.

In a related move, the Kano State Government has set up a fact-finding delegation headed by Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.

The team is tasked with visiting Edo State to negotiate compensation for the victims’ families.