Lagos State Police Command of the Nigeria Police Force in a very long press statement over its alleged false armed robbery accusation and detaining of a said minor, Quadri Yusuf Alabi claimed it acted on the basis of thorough investigation but in its long statement on Saturday, the Police Command could not state any substance or reasonability linking the said minor to the crime even when the Police Command claimed some members of the Amukoko community that identified the suspected armed robbers and street fighters were robbed of their belongings, this, could have offered the police the opportunity to know if the suspected persons were rightful or wrongful, because, in the course of investigation, the police is expected to have been able to present or state one or two of the stolen items that was found in possession or connection of the arrested suspects, but, judging from the police statement, shows, the police did not do its work, instead, it shifted its responsiblity to the court by thus, packing group of apparent innocent people to the court, for the court to decide for itself if the suspects are really what the police think they are.
For the purpose of clarification, no matter the large numbers of people who may have made allegations against a particular person or persons, the investigative officer, either a journalist, intelligence or police officer must consider such statements or accusations as hypothetical or tentative statements that could be proved right or wrong after empirical validations of facts because human beings can conspired together in large numbers to make false allegations knowingly and unknowingly against a person or persons for a reason best known to them.
Also, criminally minded people do lobby or coordinate people to deliberately make false accusations against their perceived enemy or enemies.
This may explained why an Investigative officer must be above board in the course of investigation by thus coming out with substance or reasonability beyond mere statements.
Details of the Lagos State Police Command press release as signed and made available by its spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin reads verbatim below:
“The Lagos State Police Command is aware of public concerns surrounding the case of Alabi Quadri, an 18-year-old who was remanded to Correctional Service following his involvement in violent attacks, public disturbance, causing extensive damage to public and private properties, and injuries to persons standing by in the Amukoko area of Lagos State earlier this year.
(2) On January 22, 2025 to be precise, a serious breach of public peace and extensive damage to public and private properties occurred in Amukoko when groups of youths engaged in violent confrontations that escalated into street fights for all, causing widespread violence, panic, and chaos.
During the chaos, a number of innocent passersby were reported to have been robbed and injured.
(3) In response, Police officers of the Command immediately launched an investigation into the incident. More crucial information was provided by members of the community, some of whom witnessed the incident and recognized several individuals involved.
Victims of the robbery also came forward to give statements and positively identified the perpetrators.
(4) Following a thorough and transparent investigation, Alabi Quadri and four others were arrested and charged to court in connection with the crime. The suspects were remanded by the court to a correctional facility pending the conclusion of legal proceedings in the matter.
(5) The Lagos State Police Command undoubtedly reiterates its commitment to upholding the rule of law to ensure justice in all matters, and also ensuring the safety and security of all residents.
All Police actions taken in this case have been in the laid-down processes and in accordance with due process, procedures, and based on credible evidence gathered during the investigation.
(6) We urge the public to remain calm and allow the judicial process to take its course and be fully exhausted in the case. The Command remains open to engaging with the general public, opinion groups, and community stakeholders to transparently clarify every concern and ensure justice is served fairly and transparently.
It’s statutory procedure in the Criminal Justice System and codes that police actions terminate where matters are taken to court.
(7) Members of the general public in Lagos State are enjoined to stay calm and peaceful, and allow peace to reign to ensure justice for all”, the police stated.
In a swift reaction, Barrister Inibehe Effiong condemned the police statements and accused the police of spreading fake news in a failed bid to cover its atrocious frame-up of the freed Quadri Alabi.
Inibehe in a press statement stated that; “Our attention has been drawn to a false and provocative statement issued by the Lagos State Police Command in which the Command unsuccessfully attempted to mislead the public on the fabricated case they initiated against Quadri Alabi.
The statement is not only laughable, it is ridiculous. It is embarrassing to see the police spread disinformation and fake news about an innocent Nigerian child.
Nigerians will note that in our previous statements, we disclosed that our client was abducted by two ‘Area Boys’ named Lege and Baba Waris while he was on his way home from work and dumped at the Amukoko Divisional Police Station.
These same Area Boys and their cohorts have been been harassing our client since 2023 in their effort to extort “their share” of the donations made to him after he stood in front of the convoy of Mr. Peter Obi.
In its statement, the police claimed that Quadri was arrested in connection with street fighting.
They also claimed that some properties were damaged, and that some persons were also robbed. According to the police, Quadri was identified by some people in the community and by the victims.
First, we wish to restate that Quadri is not 18 years old as mischievously parroted by the police. He is 17 as contained in his birth certificate and attested to by his mother.
He was born on the 29th day of September, 2007.
Second, Quadri was not involved in street fighting and did not rob anyone, he also did not damage anyone’s property.
Third, there was no time that our client was identified by any victim of the alleged crimes. The police should tell the public when and where the identification was done and the method used.
How was Quadri identified by the alleged victims when no identification parade was conducted as required by law, given that the alleged offences were said to have been committed at about 10pm?
Fourth, the police in their statement said that our client was arrested, but they failed to state who exactly arrested him and the place he was arrested. Their silence on these key points is quite revealing.
Sixth, the so-called casemates of Quadri are adults who are not known to him. The police failed to disclose the relationship or connection between Quadri and the four adults who were remanded along with him.
We should also state for the records that the police had detained Quadri for about a week in the police cell before unlawfully taking him before a Magistrate for remand.
It is the law that once the permissible constitutional limit for detaining a suspect has passed, a subsequent order of remand cannot cure the infringement.
It is preposterous that despite the Legal Advice issued by the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State exonerating Quadri, and his subsequent discharge by the Court, the Lagos State Police Command rather than exude remorse, has chosen the ignoble path of doubling down on its acts of perfidy, shamelessness, lawlessness, and utter contempt for justice and the truth.
We condemn this gross act of recklessness and irresponsibility by the police.
By taking this path, the Nigeria Police Force is reminding the country that it is very far from redemption.
We shall meet the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, the DPO of Amukoko CSP Olaniran Ismaila O, the IPO Inspector Odigbe Samuel, and others in the court in the coming days to seek redress and adequate compensation for Quadri.
We will also file a formal complaint with the Police Service Commission against the lawless DPO of Amukoko.
Nigeria is our country, we will not allow agents of impunity to get away with such abominable oppression of a Nigerian child”, Inibehe Effiong stated on Saturday.
We had reported that the Former Governor of Anambra State and the Presidential candidate of Labour Party in the last concluded Nigeria General Elections, Peter Obi has met with the detained minor, Quadri Yusuf Alabi, an underaged child who spent months in prison after some men of the Nigeria Police Force allegedly conspired together with some members of the Amukoko community in Lagos State, and fabricated armed robbery allegations against the said 17 years old little boy who came into fame at the wee hours to the 2023 presidential elections, when he stood boldly with his two hands widely opened in front of the convoy of the then Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, this, Alabi, who was discharged and freed by a Lagos Magistrate Court on April 17, 2025, had spent nearly three months at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri after being falsely accused of armed robbery—a charge which the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions later found to be baseless.