Saturday, September 26, 2026 - The Head of the Igala Community in Lagos State, Muhammad Salifu, has been arraigned in court for alleged defilement of a teenager in 2023.
The Secretary of the Amonu Igala Ujah Ache Council, Daniel
Omeje, disclosed this update to City Round on Wednesday.
He said, “Following a careful and thorough investigation
conducted by the Gender Office in Ikeja, Mr Muhammad Salifu Shaibu has
officially been charged to court.
“At the recent court session, Chief George listened to the
arguments and submissions from all parties involved in the case. Following the
deliberations, the matter has been adjourned until November 19, 2026, for the
continuation of the trial.
“We will continue to monitor the proceedings closely and
ensure you are kept informed as the legal process moves forward.”
Salifu was arrested on September 16 by police officers from
the Gender Unit of the Lagos Police Command, with officers from Ogudu Police
Station, after putting up a resistance.
Last Saturday, after City Round reported the arrest
of the 58-year-old, it gathered that his wife and one Mr Isah Ayegba were
granted release that day from detention at the Gender Unit office.
“The release of Chief Mohammed Salifu was heavily expedited
by the intervention of our revered community elders, who came forward to
guarantee their bail following concerns over his rapidly deteriorating health
condition while in detention,” Omeje said.
He added that as part of the conditions tied to this
administrative release, they were required to report back to the Gender Office
on Monday morning for the continuation of the ongoing process.
Meanwhile, a letter of appeal sent to the mother of the
survivor, Mrs Elizabeth Yakubu, from the Igala Youth Community, seen by City
Round, had urged her to withdraw the case from the police station.
It partly read, “There is an overwhelming and passionate
appeal from Igala sons and daughters, both at home and in the diaspora,
pleading for this matter to be withdrawn from the police station.
“Our core objective is to prevent this situation from
escalating into an adversarial court case, which would inevitably bring
division and strain the leadership of the Onu Igala Lagos State.”
On September 6, Saturday 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, Mrs 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 after prolonged labour,
but the baby died shortly after birth.
The lawyer also alleged that the teenager suffered
complications that damaged her womb, while her father later died amid the
family’s ordeal.
The Yakubu family had reported the matter to Ketu Police
Station, the Gender Unit and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence
Agency, which referred the case to the police for investigation.
Commenting on the update, the Executive Secretary of DSVA,
Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi told City Round, “Following recent developments
regarding the reported case of alleged defilement involving Mr Shaibu Muhammed
and a 15-year-old survivor, the suspect was charged for the offence of
Defilement contrary to section 137 of the Criminal law of Lagos State.
“The Lagos State Government reiterates its zero-tolerance
stance on all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and remains committed
to seeing the matter through the appropriate legal and institutional processes.
We hereby assure survivors and the public of our continued commitment to due
process, survivor support and access to justice.”
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