In a significant victory for justice and accountability, a Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to unconditionally release 16-year-old Walida Abdulhadi. The court also commanded the agency to hand over one of its operatives, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, to the police for a thorough criminal investigation.
The case, which has sparked deep concern and outrage within and beyond Jigawa State, centers around deeply disturbing allegations. In 2023, Onyewuenyi allegedly abducted and sexually abused the teenager. The situation is further compounded by the heartbreaking reality that Walida gave birth to a baby girl while being held in the suspect's custody.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hassan Dikko did not mince words. He strongly condemned the DSS for attempting to shield their operative from facing justice for what he described as a "heinous act."
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The judge completely dismissed the DSS's claims of conducting an internal investigation. He clarified that under the National Security Agency Act, the secret police have no legal authority to investigate their own officers for criminal allegations of this nature. That jurisdiction, he stressed, belongs exclusively to the police and the courts.
This Federal High Court ruling comes after the DSS actively tried to block a prior legal directive. Previously, a Hadejia Magistrate Court had demanded Walida's unconditional release to her parents and the operative's transfer to the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police. Instead of complying, the DSS filed a suit at the Federal High Court to stop the execution of that order—a move Justice Dikko has now firmly rejected.
Walida’s family lawyer, Kabiru Adamu, expressed immense relief following the verdict. He praised the decision for restoring faith in the justice system, noting that the ruling confirms "the court remains the last hope of the common man." Adamu is now urging the police to act swiftly and transparently as soon as the operative is in their custody to ensure due process and that the law takes its full course.
