A 38-year-old stepfather and another suspect are being investigated after a teenage girl was taken for medical examination

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 38-year-old man identified as Michael and another suspect over the alleged sexual assault of his 13-year-old stepdaughter in the Agege area of Lagos, with the teenager undergoing medical examination as investigators probe the circumstances surrounding the case.

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The arrests were made on Sunday after the girl reportedly returned to her biological father and disclosed allegations of repeated abuse while living with her stepfather.

According to community sources familiar with the matter, the teenager had previously been running away from home before eventually returning to her biological father, to whom she allegedly disclosed the abuse.

The girl’s father subsequently reported the matter at a police station in Ketu, prompting an investigation that led to Michael’s arrest.

The second suspect was also arrested after the police identified him as the teenager’s alleged boyfriend. The circumstances surrounding his involvement remain subject to investigation.

Confirming the arrests on Monday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said both suspects were being detained while the teenager had been taken for medical examination.

“The case was reported yesterday evening (Sunday); both the stepfather and the boyfriend were arrested and detained while the victim was taken to Mirabel Centre for medical examination,” Adebisi said.

She added that the teenager would be transferred to the Gender Unit in Ikeja for further investigation.

The case comes against a wider backdrop of persistent concerns over sexual and gender-based violence involving children in Lagos.

The state’s investigative and support agencies have continued to handle cases involving alleged abuse, with medical, forensic and psychosocial intervention forming an important part of the response.

The Mirabel Centre, where the teenager was taken, has supported more than 10,000 survivors of sexual violence since its establishment in 2013, according to figures reported earlier this year.

The centre provides survivor-centred medical, psychosocial, forensic and legal services.

The latest case also recalls another disturbing incident investigated by the Lagos police in February 2025, when a 38-year-old man, Samuel Alfred, and his friend, Ikechukwu Obi, were arrested over the alleged defilement of a 14-year-old girl in Okokomaiko.

In that earlier case, the teenager’s mother reportedly informed the police after discovering that her daughter was about nine months pregnant and alleging that the stepfather had abused her.

The matter was subsequently transferred to the Gender Unit in Ikeja for further investigation.

In the current case, however, the police have not disclosed details of any charges against the suspects, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.

The ongoing investigation is expected to establish the circumstances of the alleged abuse, determine the extent of any injuries and clarify the role, if any, of the second suspect.

For the teenager, the immediate priority remains medical care and protection while investigators work to establish the facts of the case.

The police said investigations were continuing.

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The allegations serve as another stark reminder of the vulnerability of children within domestic environments and the importance of prompt reporting, professional investigation and survivor-centred support when abuse is suspected.