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  • My ordeal in police custody, by Quadri

    My ordeal in police custody, by Quadri

    The teenager who gained national attention during the 2023 presidential campaigns for standing in front of the convoy of Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, Alabi Quadri, has narrated harrowing experiences he faced while in detention, accusing the police of wrongful incarceration and abuse.

    Quadri, who was last week released from custody after being detained for several months on allegations of armed robbery, recounted his ordeal yesterday during an interview on national television monitored by our correspondent.

    Appearing alongside his lawyer, rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, the teenager detailed the abuse he suffered while incarcerated, claiming he was mistreated by police and subjected to degrading conditions in prison.

    Quadri described being “treated like an orphan” during his detention, alleging that he was forced to carry excreta because he lacked the funds to secure his release.

    He said: “They treated me like an orphan. I was forced to carry faeces every day because I did not have the money to secure my release.”

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    Quadri recounted how his ordeal began after his image went viral, sparking donations and drawing unwanted attention. However, the attention soon became a source of danger as he noted his mother was reportedly pressured by thugs who demanded a share of the money sent to him.

    “Some people told my mum that the money that was given to me should be divided into two or I would be kidnapped,” he explained.

    “When my mum asked them what they wanted, they told her to share the money, but she said that was not possible and asked them whether they would have been talking about sharing the money if I had been shot while in front of the convoy.”

    Quadri said the threats eventually turned to violence. He noted he was abducted by hoodlums on his way home from work and handed over to the police under the guise that he was involved in a street fight.

    “I help my boss convey fish to Port Harcourt as a motor boy. That day, I was returning from work and receiving my payment when I got home and tried to open the gate. Some boys just came, held me, and handed me to the police,” he said.

    “I didn’t know that some boys had fought in the area earlier. They just told the police to lock me up.”

    In the cell, Quadri said he was the youngest among four detainees and denied any knowledge of the crimes he was accused of—destruction of property and phone theft.

    “They even took my phone and money,” he added.

    His lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, condemned the actions of the police, particularly the officers attached to the Amukoko Divisional Headquarters in Lagos, accusing them of colluding with thugs to frame the minor.

  • Portugal Open: Quadri makes seeding list

    Aruna Quadri has been seeded number six for the first ITTF Challenge Plus of 2019.  He is prominent amongst the 32 players in the seeding list of the men’s singles.

    Aside Quadri, Egypt’s Omar Assar is the second African star that made the list. Others will begin their campaigns from the preliminary round.

    Other Nigerians taking part in the tournament include Tobi Falana, Jamiu Azeez, Olajide Omotayo, and Kazeem Makanjuola. In the women’s singles, Edem Offiong and Ganiat Aruna are also participating from the preliminary round.

    Earlier yesterday, Falana made his debut in the ITTF tournament outside Nigeria and he was beaten in the men’s U-21 by Czech Republic’s Tomas Polansky 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-5).

    Like Falana, Ganiat Aruna was on the losing end as she was beaten by India’s Archana Girish Kamath 4-0 (4-11, 5-11, 9-11, 9-11). But Jamiu Azeez won his first match in an ITTF tournament outside Nigeria with a 4-2 (14-12, 4-11, 7-11, 11-7, 15-13, 11-8) win over Slovakia’s Samuel Kaluzny in the first round of the preliminary.

    Edem Offiong was in superb form with a convincing 4-1 (11-4, 11-6, 7-11, 13-11, 11-6) win over France’s Nolwenn Fort.

    Quadri and Assar will start their campaigns in the main draw tomorrow and they will be joined in the first round by successful qualifiers from the preliminary round. The tournament’s oldest players, Belarus’ Vladimir Samsonov and Serbia’s Aleksandar Karakasevic will be aiming for another title in Portugal.

    According to ITTF Editor Ian Marshall, the manner in which Vladimir Samsonov and Aleksandar Karakasevic played in those days seems no different to the present. Vladimir Samsonov is the no.4 seed in the men’s singles event, Aleksandar Karakasevic must compete in the preliminary stages.

    Moreover, Vladimir Samsonov is in form; at the recent Europe Top 16 Cup in the Swiss city of Montreux, he came within a whisker of winning the men’s title. In the final against Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov, he held two match points in the deciding seventh game before experiencing defeat.

  • ETTU Cup: Quadri, Abiodun lift Sporting to victory

    Despite dropping out from the ETTU Champions League, Nigeria’s duo of Bode Abiodun and Aruna Quadri showed top class after the Nigerians facilitated Sporting’s 3-1 quarterfinal first leg away win over Spain’s Cajasur Priego in the ETTU Cup.

    As the third-placed team in the group stage of the ETTU Champions League, Sporting automatically qualified for the quarterfinal round of the ETTU Cup and were drawn against star-studded Spanish champion – Cajasur Priego.

    In the first leg tie played in Spain, Sporting, Portuguese Champion had Abiodun, Quadri and Diogo Carvalho in their fold, while the home team has Spanish international – Carlos Machado as well as China’s Qiyao Han and Portuguese star – Andre Silva.

    Despite playing away in front of the noisy Spanish fans, Abiodun and Quadri became the stars of the night with their display which silenced the home fans in the encounter.

    It was Abiodun who started the campaign for Sporting when he beat Machado (3-2) 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 to set the stage for the visitors.

    When it was the turn of the Quadri against the Chinese star – Han, it looked as if the African champion was going to be on the losing side but he turned the tide on his opponent despite being down 2-1 to win 3-2 (13-11, 8-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-7) to give Sporting a 2-0 lead.

    In the third game involving Portuguese internationals – Silva and Carvalho, it was Silva who laughed last when he whipped his compatriot 3-0 (14-12, 11-8, 11-9) to put the encounter at 1-2.

    To be certain of their away victory, Quadri was returned to the table to square up against the Spanish international and as the inspirational player for Sporting, the Nigerian did not disappoint with a 3-1 (11-3, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6) win to complete the 3-1 rout of the home team.

    A satisfied Quadri told NationSport yesterday that the result of the encounter was not a true reflection of what transpired during the match.

  • Quadri fails to advance to main draw

    Aruna Quadri’s good run at the 2018 ITTF World Tour tagged Swedish Open came to an abrupt end yesterday as the Nigerian fell to Chinese Taipei’s Yun-Ju Lin in his quest to secure a place in the main draw.

    After squeezing a 4-3 win past Belgium’s Robin Devos in the second round of the preliminary stage, Quadri continued his superb form earlier yesterday with a 4-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 11-4) in the third round of the preliminary to need a win to secure a place in the main draw.

    Set up against the Taiwanese, Quadri was forced to change tactic by his opponent who started the encounter with 11-8 win.

    But Quadri fought back in the second game to win at 14-12.

    But that was the best Quadri could do against the teenager who went on a winning spree in the next three games, to win at 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 to complete a 4-1 rout of the ITTF African Champion.

    The defeat put paid to Quadri’s ambition of consolidating on his string of disappointment at the ITTF World Cup and ETTU Champions League, while he has again failed to make it to the main draw of the men’s singles at the $150,000 prize money championship.

    “I think I gave my best having won two crucial matches in the tournament. I hope I can end the year on a good note.

    Unfortunately I lost today but that is not the end of the world as I am looking forward to compete next week at the Austrian Open which is the last ITTF World Tour for the year. I am hoping also that my two wins will help my ranking in November 2018,” Quadri said.

    From today, the 16 top seed players will be tasking action from the main draw against the 16 qualifiers with all eyes on the Chinese stars – Fan Zhnedong and Xu Xin as well as returning Olympic and World Champion, Ma Long.

  • 2018 ITTF World Cup: Aruna Quadri hits France with family

    After leading Portugal’s Sporting to their first win of the 2018/2019 European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) Champions League, Africa’s sole representative at the 2018 ITTF World Cup, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has arrived Paris, France, in readiness for the three-day tournament which serves off on Friday October 19.

    Quadri was accompanied by his wife Ganiyat and their three children.

    The $250,000 prize money championship will have 20 best players in the world competing to share from the prize money and also amass ranking points.

    Quadri, who made the final cut based on his world ranking, will start his campaign from the first round where 12 players will be drawn into foure groups of three players in each group. The top two players in each group join the already seeded eight players to compete in the knockout round on October 20, while the final holds on October 21.

    The 2018 ITTF African Champion was in high spirit for the tournament and he is eager to reenact the feat that saw him becoming the first African to make it to the quarterfinal stage of the championship with his superlative outing at the 2014 edition in Dusseldorf, Germany.

    A determined Quadri said he is looking forward to a good draw with the aim of advancing to the knockout round. “I am here to perform like every other player and I am in good shape after the last weekend’s win in the Champions League. Every player competing in the World Cup, are potential champions and I am looking forward to give my best again and hope for the best against the best in the world,” Quadri said.

    The draws for the first round of the World Cup holds on Thursday October 18 at the Disney Event Arena in Chessy, a suburb in the east of Paris, France.

  • Quadri, Abiodun lose with Sporting in ETTU Champions League

    It was not a good start for Aruna Quadri and Sporting teammates yesterday in the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) Champions League after the Portuguese champion fell 03 to defending champion  Borussia Dusseldorf in the opener of Group A.

    In the absence of Captain Joao Monteiro, Quadri led the 2017 semi-finalist to the German city of Dusseldorf but their visit was marred by the defeat in the hands of the home team.

    Portuguese international – Diogo Carvalho was thrown into the table to start the campaign for Sporting while Egypt’s Omar Assar started for Borussia Dusseldorf. The encounter had all the qualities of an epic match while the support of the home fans was all what Dusseldorf needed to be fired up for the tie.

    From the start, Assar put everything right and claim the first two games at 11-3, 11-4. But Carvalho did not leave the table without a fight as he prevented a clean win for Assar with 11-7 win in the third.

    The fourth game became the climax of the encounter as both players entertained the fans with their beautiful displays that were greeted with applause by the fans.

    Even when the game went into deuce, Assar rose to the occasion to win at 13-11 for a 3-1 overall victory.

    It was the turn of Quadri to restore parity for Sporting against Kristian Karlsson. The match started with both players playing with caution but it was the Swedish Karlsson that won the first game at 11-7. But not ready to give up the tie, Quadri levelled up with an 11-9 win. The last two games were full of excitement with Karlsson claiming emphatic victory against Quadri at 12-10, 11-9 to give Borussia Dusseldorf a 2-0 lead.

    The third match involving Bode Abiodun and Anton Kallberg was also another explosive tie but it was the young Swedish star that completed the 3-0 rout of Sporting with 14-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4 win in the Group A opener of the lucrative league.

    The next tie for Quadri’s Sporting is on October 11 at home to Czech Republic’s Ostrava.

  • ITTF Nigeria Open Quadri proves his worth

    Table tennis star, Aruna Quadri beat Italy’s Amato Antonino on the centre court at the 6th edition of the ITTF Nigeria Open.

    Quadri, who is ranked 18th in the world, beat the 18-year-old Amato 11-7, 14-12, 11-6, 11-5 (4-0) to advance to the next round.

    Meanwhile, it was drama galore when two unseeded players defeated two top-seeded players from Nigeria.

    Bode Abiodun lost to Ronit Bhanja from India 11-4. 9-11, 11-4, 10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 10-12, while Egyptian Helmy Mahmoud beat Omotayo Olajide 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 3-11, 2-11.

    Bhanja, speaking to NationSport after his tough match with Abiodun said: “I am very proud that I beat a top-seeded Nigerian on his home turf, Bode is a very good player, I thought I was going to lose the match but glory be to God I rallied and won it”.

    The Indian unseeded player currently ranks 909 in the world.

    Helmy Mahmoud, reacting after his victory over 204th ranked Olajide said: “I am grateful for the victory over the match against Omotayo Olajide. I have heard of Omotayo and how good he plays, so I was a little bit scared but I am happy to make out of the Round 64 Men’s Single’s event. ”.

  • ITTF World Ranking Quadri climbs to 22

    DESPITE not being able to take Nigeria to the Championship Division of the 2018 World Team Championships, Aruna Quadri’s performance in Sweden earned his rise in the May 2018 ITTF World Ranking.

    Like Quadri, his compatriots – Segun Toriola, Olajide Omotayo and Bode Abiodun also gained places in the latest rating released yesterday by the world table tennis ruling body.

    Having featured in all the seven matches played by Nigeria in Halmstad with a lost to Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej in the quarter-final of the men’s second division, Quadri gained four places from 26 to rise to 22 in the May ranking.

    Like Quadri, Toriola, Omotayo and Abiodun also got improved ranking with Toriola rising to 157 from 166.

    Omotayo who has continued to gain places in the world rating also rose to 179 from 215, while Abiodun moved from 296 to 266.

    The improved individual ranking has also rubbed off positively on the team ranking as Nigeria now occupies a joint 26th place with Chile and Denmark.

    The poor outing of Egypt did not affect the fortunes of Omar Assar as the African champion maintains his status as number 17 in the latest ranking.

    The Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the conclude World team Championship, China’s Fan Zhendong maintains his status as the world number one, while Germany’s duo of Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Timo Boll occupy second and third places in the latest ranking.

    For emerging as champion in Sweden, China has displaced Germany as the number one seed team in the world. Japan is second, while Hong Kong occupies the third spot in the rating.

  • Quadri, Omotayo lift Nigeria against Argentina

    Aruna Quadri and Olajide Omotayo saved the day for Nigeria at the ongoing 2018 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Championships against Argentina in the second group match of the competition.

    Before the encounter, it was clear that the match would throw up a surprise as the Argentine team was determined to avenge their previous losses to Nigeria.

    Cifuentes Horacio who started the game for the Argentine. He was set up against veteran Segun Tortola but the young Argentine won at 12-10, 15-13, 11-9.This win boosted the confidence of the Argentine going into the second game with Quadri facing Alto Gaston, but Quadri’s powerful drive was all he needed to defeat the Argentine 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 to restore parity in the match.

    22-year-old Olajide Omotayo humbled Galvano Nicolas 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-3 to put Nigeria ahead, much to the admiration of the former and current Presidents of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi and Ishaku Tikon.

    Quadri returned to the table for the fourth game against Cifuentes Horacio. Quadri showed his class and less than 30 minutes he coasted to victory with 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 to give Nigeria a convincing 3-1 win.

    Nigeria now shares four points with Slovakia on top of the group table.

  • ‘We thank our stars Quadri didn’t play’

    DESPITE beating Nigeria 3-0 in the final of the table tennis men’s team event at the ongoing 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Indian captain, Sharath Achanta has admitted that the absence of star player – Aruna Quadri aided their victory against the West African giant.

    Achanta, who guided the Indian team to victory in the match, said the presence of Quadri in the Nigerian team would have given them a challenge in the encounter.

    “I was really surprised in the first game how well Bode played, I made mistakes receiving his service and he had no problems with my service. From the second game onwards I changed my services, I served more to his backhand, not middle and forehand. I made sure I was the first to attack. At 10-7 in the fourth game, I saw the winning post; I was rushing so at 10-9 I took the “Time Out”. I think we were lucky, it was good we didn’t play Nigeria in the morning and of course, we were fortunate Aruna Quadri did not play,” said Achanta

    The Indians were winners in Melbourne in 2006 and the Asian side once again, underlined its liking for Australia; the trio comprising Sharath Achanta, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai combined to win the Men’s Team title at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in the splendid setting of the Oxenford Studies.

    At the final hurdle, they beat the Nigerian trio formed by Bode Abiodun, Segun Toriola and Olajide Omotayo by three matches to nil.

    A somewhat tentative start from Sharath Kamal Achanta against Bode Abiodun but from the start of the second game, more positive, he assumed control of the game.