The Head of the Igala Community in Lagos State, Chief Muhammad Salifu Shaibu, has been dragged before a Lagos court over the alleged defilement of a 15-year-old girl.
Salifu, 58, was charged following an investigation by the Gender Unit in Ikeja into allegations dating back to December 2023.
The development was disclosed by the Secretary of the Amonu Igala Ujah Ache Council, Daniel Omeje, who said the case had now entered the trial stage.
According to Omeje, the court has adjourned the matter till November 19, 2026, for continuation of proceedings.
He said the community would continue to monitor the case as the legal process unfolds.
Salifu’s arrest on September 16 had attracted attention after he allegedly resisted police officers who went to apprehend him.
Officers from the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, assisted by personnel from Ogudu Police Station, eventually took him into custody.
His wife and another man, identified as Isah Ayegba, were also arrested but were later released.
Omeje said community elders intervened in securing Salifu’s release after concerns were raised about his health while in detention.
He was, however, required to report back to the Gender Office as investigations continued.
The development came despite an appeal by the Igala Youth Community to the mother of the alleged survivor, Elizabeth Yakubu, asking her to withdraw the complaint.
The group said it wanted to prevent the matter from becoming a court battle that could cause division within the Igala community in Lagos.
The allegations against Salifu date back to December 2023, when the girl was 15.
According to her mother, the teenager allegedly became pregnant after the incident. She said Salifu initially denied responsibility but later acknowledged the pregnancy and allegedly offered N50,000 for an abortion, an option the family rejected.
A petition by the family’s lawyer, Kazeem Adebanjo, alleged that the teenager later underwent a Caesarean section after prolonged labour, but the baby died shortly after birth.
The lawyer further alleged that the teenager suffered complications which damaged her womb, while her father also died during the period of the family’s ordeal.
The family had reported the matter to the Ketu Police Station, the Lagos Police Command’s Gender Unit and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.
The DSVA subsequently referred the matter to the police for investigation.
Confirming the latest development, the Executive Secretary of the DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said Salifu had been charged with defilement under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
She said the Lagos State Government would continue to support due process and ensure that the case proceeds through the appropriate legal channels.
Salifu has previously denied the allegations, while questioning why the matter was not reported until years after the alleged incident. He also linked the accusation to opposition surrounding his leadership of the Igala community.
The court proceedings are expected to continue on November 19.
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