The 17-year-old, who has gained national attention in the 2023 election for appearing in the viral photos with Peter Obi’s campaign team, Alabi Quadri, shared tragic details of his detention in Kirikiri’s highest security prison.
Arabi told a moment in an interview on Channel TV on Monday that marked the beginning of his ordeal, and he was arrested by police after the incident in his community.
Naija News It was reported that he revealed that the virus photos used with Obi’s convoy seemed to have made him a target of trouble, with some threatening his family.
Quadri explained that he had no idea the day he was arrested had clashes broke out in his area. He returned home from work as a machine boy and was ambushed by a local boy who handed him over to police.
“Since the virus movement pictures surfaced, it seems that some people have been paying close attention to me.
“Someone even threatened my mom and said the money they gave me would be divided into one cent or she wouldn’t see me again. He said, recalling the fear and chaos of his sudden arrest.
Upon arriving at the police station, Arabi finds himself locked in a cell by an older man he doesn’t know. He was later transferred to the infamous Kirikiri prison, where his nightmare deepened.
“At the station, they locked me in a cell of someone I didn’t know. They were older men I’ve never seen before, and I was the youngest of them.” He recalled that his voice was filled with the pain of his experience.
He added, “In Kirikiri, my daily task is to clean up the feces from morning to six o’clock in the evening because I can’t afford to pay.”
Lagos State Police Command claims Arabi was arrested and remanded in custody for alleged public harassment and robbery.
However, his family and supporters have always insisted that his arrest was unfair, with many accusing police of using him as a scapegoat.
After several months of detention, Arabi was finally released on April 17, 2025.
