Defilement: Police arrest Kogi chief after PUNCH report

Muhammad Salifu, Head of the Igala Community in Lagos, has been apprehended by officers from the Lagos State Police Command's Gender Unit for suspected child defilement, following a report by Saturday PUNCH. The chief, who was arrested on Wednesday, resisted arrest at his home in Lagos, resulting in injuries to the police officers and the intervention of backup from the Ogudu Police Station.

Video footage showed Salifu, dressed in a white traditional garment, fighting with police officers and a group of angry women and youths outside his residence. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, requested for details of the case via WhatsApp but had not responded at the time of reporting. A police source confirmed that the suspect remained in custody.

In December 2023, a teenager alleged that Salifu raped her twice at a hotel in Ojota, Lagos, when she was 15 years old. The teenager later became pregnant and underwent a caesarean section, but the baby later died from breathing complications. The family rejected the chief's initial denial of responsibility and refusal to pay N50,000 for an abortion.

The case is currently under investigation, and Salifu remained at large despite previous failed arrests. Facing public pressure, the Amonu Igala Ujah Ache Council urged the Igala community, its chiefs, and the public to remain calm and await a thorough investigation by the relevant authorities.