THE Lagos State Police Command has initiated an internal review into the conduct of its officers involved in the alleged mistreatment of Quadri Alabi, following a meeting between human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong and the state Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh.
Effiong confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, April 22.
He said the meeting with the commissioner and other senior police officers led to the commissioner setting up a committee tasked to probe the actions of the officers and other individuals linked to the boy’s travails.
“We have concluded a meeting with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh and other high-ranking officers in the Command.
“The CP introduced us to the committee, which he has tasked with carrying out an internal review of the conduct of his officers and other persons involved in Quadri’s ordeal,” he wrote.
He emphasised the importance of the investigation, saying it was critical to preventing or reducing the recurrence of similar cases of abuse and misconduct.
“We are cooperating with this investigation because we believe that it is imperative to prevent or reduce the recurrence of cases like the one of Quadri Alabi,” he added.
Effiong, who has stood as Quadri’s lawyer, said his team would allow the Commissioner to take “appropriate actions” following the outcome of the committee’s findings.
This came against the backdrop of the police claims that Quadri was arrested for street fighting.
Recall that the 17-year-old who gained national attention during the 2023 elections by standing in front of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s convoy was arrested by the police in January 2025, charged in court and detained at Kirikirki Correctional Centre.
However, a Lagos Magistrate Court on Thursday, April 17, discharged him following legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which confirmed there was no evidence to support the armed robbery charge levelled against him.
His lawyer, Effiong, had described the armed robbery charge as ‘baseless,’ stating that the case was another example of Nigeria’s flawed justice system.
The lawyer also stated the police misrepresented his age to be 18, “knowing that disclosing his actual age would likely raise eyebrows.”
Effiong stated that the young boy’s predicament began following his viral picture during the 2023 campaign event when he stood in front of Obi’s convoy and later received financial support from the public.
But shortly after his release, the Lagos State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement, on Saturday, April 19, insisted that Quadri was arrested, charged to court and remanded in a correctional facility after the street fight that took place in the Amukoko area of the state.
The command added that the incident occurred on January 22 when a group of youths engaged in a fierce street fight that caused terror in the community.
According to the statement, several people were injured and public and private property were damaged, stressing that some passersby were also robbed during the alleged chaos.
The police further explained that the investigation led to the arrest of Quadri and four others, who were subsequently taken to court. The court then ordered their detention pending further legal proceedings.
Also, justifying his arrest on Channels Television, on Tuesday, April 22, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, stated that Quadri stated that he was 18 years old.
He also stressed that the birth certificate that the lawyer is parading should be investigated.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M