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Peter Obi Calls for Release of 15-Year-Old Yusuf Alabi After His Unlawful Detention
There is growing outrage over the case of 15-year-old Yusuf Alabi, a supporter of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who has been held at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre since January this year.
Alabi gained national attention in 2023 after a viral photo showed him standing in front of Obi’s convoy during a rally in Lagos. The image became a symbol of hope for Nigerian youth, with many supporters rallying behind him.
Peter Obi, shocked by the boy’s detention, expressed his concern on social media, urging authorities to respect the rule of law. He also revealed that he had contacted lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who has been working hard to secure Alabi’s release.
Obi called on the police and government officials to operate within the law, warning against using citizens, particularly the youth, as political tools.
Effiong visited the facility where Alabi is being held and shared his findings on Facebook. After interviewing Alabi, the lawyer explained that the boy was abducted by local “area boys” in January while returning from work.
The area boys had been threatening him for not sharing the money he received after the viral photo with Obi. Effiong revealed that after the abduction, Alabi was taken to Amukoko Police Station, where he was falsely charged with armed robbery alongside four strangers.
Effiong found the charges suspicious, noting that Alabi had been wrongly accused of robbing two victims of N579,000 in cash and phones. After his investigation, Effiong concluded that Alabi is another victim of Nigeria’s flawed criminal justice system.
Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju also reacted, mentioning how such injustices are part of the daily struggles faced by the country’s poor and helpless citizens.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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