Defilement: Police arrest Kogi chief after PUNCH report - Punch Newspapers
The Head of the Igala Community in Lagos, Muhammad Salifu, has been arrested by officers from the Lagos State Police Command Gender Unit for suspected child defilement, after a report by Saturday PUNCH. A family source who spoke to Saturday PUNCH said the chief was arrested on Wednesday, after putting up a fight with his associates against the police at his house in Lagos. “He was finally arrested today. We are currently at the Commissioner of Police’s office. The police officers were bitten and wounded. They had to call for backup from Ogudu Police Station. These officers later intervened and took him (Salifu) out of his house before handing him over to the Gender Unit police,” the source revealed. Video clips and photos of the scuffle before the chief’s arrest were forwarded to our correspondent on Wednesday evening. In them, Salifu, dressed in a white native cloth, could be seen fighting against the officers at the entrance of his house, along with some angry women and youths trying to resist his arrest. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, asked our correspondent to send details of the case via WhatsApp for confirmation. However, she had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google However, a police source in the unit told Saturday PUNCH that the suspect remained in custody. On September 6, Saturday PUNCH reported that the teenager was allegedly raped twice by the Kogi chief at a hotel in Ojota, Lagos, in December 2023, when she was 15 years old. According to the girl’s mother, Elizabeth Yakubu, the teenager later became pregnant, and her mother said Salifu initially denied responsibility but subsequently acknowledged the pregnancy and paid N50,000 for an abortion, which the family rejected. According to a petition by their lawyer, Kazeem Adebanjo, the teenager eventually underwent a caesarean section, but the baby developed breathing complications and died after seven days. Before Stardom With…Presh Chuks Two Lagos women remanded over cyberstalking ‘Nigeria battling foundational problems’ The lawyer also alleged that the teenager suffered complications that damaged her womb, while her father later died amid the family’s ordeal. The family reported the matter to Ketu Police Station, the Lagos State Police Command’s Gender Unit and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, which referred the case to the police for investigation. Police sources said the case was still under investigation and that Salifu remained at large after officers allegedly failed to arrest him at several locations. Salifu, however, denied the allegations, claiming the matter was linked to opposition to his leadership within the Igala community and questioning why the family waited until 2026 to report it. A statement issued by the Amonu Igala Ujah Ache Council on Thursday called on the entire Igala community, its chiefs and the public to maintain absolute peace and calm. It partly read, “We are fully aware of the recent arrest of Chief Muhammad Salifu Shaibu by the Gender Office following allegations concerning the defilement of a minor. “While we understand the deep concern, tension and emotional weight this situation brings to our community, we urge everyone to approach this matter with utmost restraint and wisdom. “We must allow the relevant security agencies and legal authorities the necessary time and space to conduct a thorough, unbiased and transparent investigation into the matter. We firmly remind everyone that nobody should take the law into their own hands.” Earlier, the Command’s Gender Unit had issued a statement that the case was being formally transferred from the local police station to the Gender Unit of the Nigeria Police Force. It read, “The Gender Office has formally taken over the investigation of this matter. This development follows an official directive and approval obtained from the Commissioner of Police, authorising the immediate transfer of the case file to the specialised unit for a more comprehensive investigation.” Victor Ayeni Victor is a Senior Correspondent at Punch Newspapers’ Features Desk with over ten years of experience as a writer and blogger. He has reported on a wide range of topics, including Lagos State Government affairs and Lagos politics, blending in-depth research with engaging storytelling. Victor’s work demonstrates hands-on newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a dedication to clear, accurate, and compelling journalism.
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