Residents of Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State on Tuesday poured into the streets in a protest demanding justice for Walida Abdulhadi, who was allegedly abducted by Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The demonstrators, consisting of lawyers, women’s organisations and civil society groups, marched through several parts of the town before proceeding to the palace of the Emir of Hadejia, where they presented a formal petition regarding the case.
Speaking during the protest, Chairman of the Hadejia Ina Mafita Initiative, Dr. Hussaini Shehu, said the rally was organised to show the community’s anger over what they called an alleged attempt to release the suspect.
He said the group would persist in seeking justice until the issue is completely resolved in line with the law.
“We are determined to ensure that the alleged offender is brought to justice. No one is above the law,” Shehu said.
Responding on behalf of the Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Dr. Adamu Abubakar Maje, CON, the Secretary of the Hadejia Emirate Council, Abubakar Sulaiman, assured the protesters that the palace would closely monitor the matter and ensure that necessary action is taken.
Also speaking at the protest, Walida’s lawyer, Barrister Kabiru Adamu, said the legal team would intensify its efforts to ensure that the DSS officer implicated faces the consequences of his alleged conduct.
According to him, ensuring the suspect is held responsible would serve as a warning to others.
The lawyer also accused the Minister of Women Affairs and the DSS of allegedly misrepresenting facts surrounding the case.
“We are aware of a misleading report circulated in some national newspapers and aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), attributed to the Minister of Women Affairs, claiming that the victim, Walida, was 22 years old at the time of her abduction,” he said.
Adamu described the claim as incorrect, insisting that Walida was born in 2008, a year after her parents were married in 2007.
He argued that the statement credited to the minister amounted to a distortion of Walida’s identity and background.
According to him, Walida is currently 18 years old and it is incorrect to suggest that she was 22 at the time the alleged abduction occurred.
On February 25, 2025 Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State took custody of Walida Abdulhadi Ibrahim, who had earlier been held by the Department of State Services (DSS).
She was allegedly abducted from Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State by one Mariam, who later subjected her to sexual exploitation before fleeing.
She later found herself in Abuja and subsequently moved in with an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi.
