According to the petition, Walida was abducted in 2023 while she was a Senior Secondary School II (SS 2) student.
A human rights activist has petitioned the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged abduction, sexual abuse, and unlawful custody of a minor, Walida Abdulhadi, from Jigawa State, raising concerns about media exploitation and obstruction of justice.
In a detailed letter seen by SaharaReporters on Monday, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, Esq., a constitutional lawyer and member of the Citizens’ Liberty Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, expressed profound concern about what he described as a “desperate, calculated, and coordinated attempt to cover up a case involving a minor.”
According to the petition, Walida was abducted in 2023 while she was a Senior Secondary School II (SS 2) student.
Her father has repeatedly stated publicly that his daughter was and remains a minor.
“These facts have never been controverted with credible evidence,” the petition notes.
Dantani raised an alarm over a recent publication by Daily Trust, which featured an interview purportedly granted by Walida. According to him, the interview appears scripted, designed to protect a DSS operative, one Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is now under suspicion in the case.
The script, he explained, artificially suggests that Walida is 22 years old and that she only encountered the operative after reaching 18 in 2024, creating a narrative intended to shield him from criminal liability.
The petition highlights the introduction of a figure named Mariam in the interview, alleged to have abducted and sexually molested Walida before she was transferred to Abuja.
“To further muddy the waters, the script introduces a so-called Mariam, alleged to have abducted Walida, taken her to a house in Hadeja, and repeatedly sexually molested her. She was scripted to claim she stayed with Mariam until 2024, after which she was taken to Abuja,” Dantani wrote.
The activist criticised the narrative as legally incoherent and factually insulting, emphasising that Walida was in SS 2 in 2023, which typically places her age between 13 and 15. Even under generous assumptions, she would have been no older than 17 in 2025.
Dantani further stated that Walida gave birth to a baby girl in 2025, allegedly fathered by the DSS operative.
“This incontrovertibly establishes that sexual intercourse occurred at least nine months earlier, at a time when Walida was still a minor. No amount of legal gymnastics, scripted interviews, or intervening stories of a ‘faceless Mariam’ can erase this reality,” he wrote.
The activist accused the DSS of a serious conflict of interest.
“How can the DSS claim neutrality when the principal suspect is its own operative, thereby making the Service a judge in its own cause?” Dantani asked, urging the immediate release of Walida to her parents or lawful guardians.
Citing Nigeria’s adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Child Rights Act 2003, the petition emphasised the legal protections afforded to minors.
It referenced provisions mandating that, in all actions concerning a child, the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration.
The law also requires that children be provided with the protection and care necessary for their well-being, taking into account the rights and responsibilities of parents or legal guardians, who are tasked with offering guidance and direction in the exercise of the child’s rights.
The petition further highlighted that children are entitled to freedom to practise their religion, the right to privacy and protection from media exposure, and the right to be free from physical, mental, or emotional harm, sexual abuse, degrading treatment, or attacks on their honour, all of which are explicitly enshrined in law.
Dantani stressed that the DSS is not legally empowered to withhold a child from her parents, and that retaining Walida in “safe custody” while allowing media exposure constitutes a violation of both the letter and spirit of the law.
He called for the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, gender-protection agencies, and the Jigawa State Government to ensure the child’s welfare and pursue justice.
“If this case is left for the distraught father to pursue alone, justice may never see the light of day,” the petition warned, framing the matter as a national test of Nigeria’s commitment to child protection, the rule of law, and institutional accountability.
Dantani concluded his petition by urging the DSS to release Walida to her parents, transfer the investigation to an independent authority, and allow relevant child and gender-protection agencies to secure her welfare.
He stressed that the case is no longer just about Walida, but about Nigeria’s commitment to institutional accountability and the protection of its most vulnerable citizens.
“It is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law, child protection, and institutional accountability,” Dantani wrote, calling on the DSS and all relevant authorities to act swiftly and transparently.
In January, SaharaReporters reported that a Magistrate Court in Jigawa State had ordered the arrest of a serving DSS officer over allegations of child abduction, sexual exploitation, unlawful detention, and forcible religious conversion involving a 16-year-old girl.
In the court order dated January 7, 2026, the magistrate directed the Commissioner of Police, Jigawa State Command, or senior officials of the DSS, to arrest the respondent, identified as Ifeanyi Festus (Onyewuenyi), and discreetly investigate the alleged offences pursuant to Sections 125 and 102(5) of the Jigawa State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL).
The court further ordered the DSS to immediately release and reunite the alleged victim, Walida, with her parents.
DSS Confirms Ifeanyi’s Arrest
In January, the DSS confirmed that Ifeanyi had been arrested and was undergoing investigation.
Favour Dozie, DSS Deputy of Director Public Relations and Strategic Communications, said, “The attention of Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to reports alleging involvement of a staff of DSS, one Ifeanyi Festus (Onyewuenyi), in a case of abduction, defilement of a minor and abuse of office among other offences.
“For clarity, the Service has no record of above named in its employment.
“However, it is hereby confirmed that, an active staff, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is suspected to have forcefully converted and married one Walida Abdulhadi ‘f’, has been arrested and is currently being investigated.”
“It must be stressed that, such acts are against our regulations and laid down code of conduct,” the agency added.
