* Dismisses agency’s internal probe, orders police investigation
* Family hails ruling as victory for justice and rule of law
A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to hand over its operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, to the Nigeria Police Force for a full investigation over allegations of abducting, sexually abusing, and impregnating a Muslim teenager, Walida Abdullahi.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hassan Dikko also ordered the unconditional release of the teenager and dismissed claims of an internal investigation conducted by the DSS, describing it as an attempt to shield the operative from accountability.
The court directed that Onyewuenyi, an Igbo Christian, be transferred to the police for a comprehensive and independent investigation into the allegations.
The case, which has drawn sustained public attention and advocacy campaigns, centres on allegations that the DSS operative abducted Walida from Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State and took her to Abuja, where she was allegedly held for over two years.
Muslim News gathered that the teenager, who was 16 at the time of the alleged abduction, later gave birth to a baby girl during her period in captivity.
Following public outcry from people of good conscience, human rights bodies, Muslim organizations and this medium, Muslim News, launching #Justice4Walidah and #FreeWalida, the DSS later handed the teenager over to the Jigawa State Government on February 25, 2026, for her care and protection.
Daily Trust had reported that the minor was molested and forcibly converted to Christianity while in the custody of the suspect. The claims have continued to generate public debates across the country.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dutse Branch, alongside other civil society groups, had earlier demanded prosecution of the suspect, citing a court order issued in January 2026 mandating an independent investigation into the matter.
A Magistrate’s Court in Hadejia earlier ordered the release of the teenager and the transfer of the suspect to the police, a ruling that was later challenged by the DSS at the Federal High Court.
Justice Dikko, in his ruling on Tuesday, described the alleged conduct as “condemnable,” stressing the seriousness of the allegations and the need for due process.
Counsel to the victim’s family, Kabiru Adamu, described the judgment as a victory for justice and the rule of law.
“This ruling reinforces public confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man,” he said, urging the police to ensure a transparent and timely investigation once the suspect is handed over.
Legal observers say the judgment reinforces the principle that allegations involving minors and security personnel must be subjected to full judicial scrutiny and independent investigation.
The matter is expected to proceed as the police take over investigations in compliance with the court order.
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