The Department of State Services (DSS) has handed over Walida, a minor allegedly abducted and impregnated by a serving DSS operative, to Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi.
Walida and her baby were released to the governor on Wednesday, February 25, at the DSS headquarters in Abuja. The handover reportedly lasted until about 10:40pm.
Governor Namadi was accompanied by several officials, including Haruna Aliyu, Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly; Bello Abdulkadir Fanini, the state’s attorney-general; and Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab, commissioner for women affairs. Also present were Haroun Muhammad, deputy national legal adviser of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), representatives of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and other civil society groups. Walida’s parents were not present at the handover.
Speaking at the DSS headquarters, Namadi described Walida as a daughter of Jigawa State and said the government would assume responsibility for her safety and recovery. “She will be in the custody of the state government pending the resolution of all issues surrounding her abduction,” the governor said.
Responding to questions about her parents’ absence, Namadi clarified that taking her into state custody does not necessarily mean she will immediately return to Jigawa. “Walida will be kept in Abuja for now. She will be provided with adequate security. Her case is a state matter and will be treated as such,” he added.
DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi said the agency had kept Walida in custody after recovering her from the operative in January 2026. He confirmed that the DSS officer involved is currently in custody and will face consequences if found culpable.
“Our major concern is about the safety and the future of Walida,” Ajayi said. “She is a young woman who has the right to live, and we have the responsibility to ensure she is safe while the matter is being investigated.” He added that the case is being handled as an inter-agency investigation and that multiple groups were invited to observe the process to ensure transparency.
Walida reportedly went missing in November 2023 at the age of 16 in Hadejia, Jigawa State. Efforts by her family to locate her were unsuccessful, and her disappearance was said to have caused severe emotional distress to her mother, who later died.
On January 1, 2026, her father, Abdulhadi Ibrahim, allegedly received a call from a DSS officer identified as Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who informed him that Walida was with him in Abuja and had given birth. The officer reportedly asked the father to come to Abuja for discussions and indicated he was ready to marry her.
Unable to travel, the father sent a representative, who claimed that Walida was living with the officer at a DSS facility in Karmajiji, Abuja. It was also alleged that the officer converted her from Islam to Christianity.
Following a petition by lawyers at Gamji Lawchain to the DSS, the Inspector-General of Police and the Office of the National Security Adviser, the DSS arrested the operative over the allegations. Investigations are ongoing.
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