A 58-year-old Lagos community chief in kogi state , Muhammed Salifu, is being sought by the police over allegations that he defiled a teenager, resulting in a pregnancy, a caesarean delivery, and complications that the girl’s family says damaged her womb.
The case, involving the head of the Igala Community in Lagos, is currently being handled by the Gender Desk of the Lagos State Police Command, which said the suspect has not been arrested and is believed to be avoiding law enforcement.
A police source attached to the Gender Desk told journalists that officers had tracked Salifu to several locations but had yet to apprehend him.
“The case is not yet in court. We are still looking for the suspect. We have tracked him to several places, and he quickly leaves each place. He is still at large, and he appears to be dodging,” the source said.
The teenager, whose identity is being withheld, was born on January 3, 2008. Her mother, Elizabeth Yakubu, alleged that Salifu first assaulted her daughter in December 2023 after offering to accommodate the family at a hotel in Ojota before their journey to Kogi State.
Yakubu said Salifu had previously assisted the teenager with a tailoring apprenticeship, having paid for her training after asking about her plans for education or vocational work.
According to the mother, Salifu took the girl upstairs after the family arrived at the hotel and allegedly locked the door before forcing himself on her. Yakubu said her daughter was also threatened with death if she disclosed what had happened.
She alleged that another assault occurred in the early hours of December 27, 2023, after the teenager had gone to Salifu’s residence to assist with household chores ahead of his coronation ceremony.
The pregnancy was discovered the following month, according to Yakubu. She said Salifu initially denied responsibility but later accepted paternity after the family took the teenager to a hospital.
A petition dated July 24, 2026, and signed by the family’s lawyer, Kazeem Adebanjo, stated that Salifu subsequently paid N50,000 to the mother for an abortion, which she rejected.
The lawyer said the family instead cared for the pregnant teenager until she delivered by caesarean section. The newborn later died after seven days in a general hospital.
Yakubu said the delivery also left her daughter with serious complications and alleged that her womb was damaged during efforts to save her life.
The family reported the matter to Ketu Police Station, the Gender Desk of the Lagos State Police Command and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. A DSVA referral letter dated August 31, 2026, described the allegations as offences including defilement and indecent treatment of a child.
Salifu denied the allegations in his response to journalists. He said he had intended to marry the girl and support her education, while attributing the dispute to a leadership struggle within the Igala community.
He also questioned why the family reported the matter years after the alleged incidents.
Punch reported that the state police spokesperson, Adebisi Abimbola, did not respond to inquiries on the case.
Meanwhile, an Igala Community spokesman, Abubakar Agene, declined to comment, saying the matter was in court. The police source, however, said the case had not reached court and that investigators were still searching for the suspect.
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