A Federal High Court in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to hand over its operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, to the police for investigation. Onyewuenyi is accused of abducting and forcefully impregnating Walida Abdulhadi, a teenager.
It was previously alleged that Onyewuenyi abducted 16-year-old Walida from the Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State, molested her, and forcefully converted her to Christianity. While Walida later gave birth to a baby girl, mounting public pressure and condemnation eventually led the DSS to hand the teenager over to the Jigawa State Government.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hassan Dikko ordered the unconditional release of the teenager and directed the DSS to transfer Onyewuenyi to police custody for a full investigation.
The ruling dismissed any internal investigations previously claimed by the DSS, with the court describing the agency’s actions as an attempt to shield its operative from accountability.
Justice Dikko characterized the alleged conduct as “condemnable,” underscoring the gravity of the accusations.
Counsel for the teenager’s family, Kabiru Adamu, described the judgment as a victory for both his client and the rule of law.
“This ruling reinforces public confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man,” Adamu stated.
He further urged the police to ensure a transparent and timely investigation once the suspect is handed over.
This Federal High Court ruling follows a prior order from a Magistrate’s Court in Hadejia, which had also demanded the teenager’s release and the suspect’s transfer to the police—a directive the DSS had unsuccessfully contested.
