BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, has, in a decisive ruling, compelled the Department of State Services (DSS) to grant the immediate and unconditional release of Walida Abdulhadi, a teenager whose detention has sparked significant public interest.
Additionally, the presiding judge Justice Hassan Dikko further mandated that the nation’s secret service to produce and transfer their operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who faces allegations of abduction and abuse, to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Jigawa State Command, for a comprehensive criminal investigation.
This final judgment on Tuesday follows a month-long wait after the court adjourned the case on March 26 to weigh the final arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defence counsels.
In his ruling, Justice Dikko also condemned the DSS for allegedly shielding its officer accused of committing the “heinous act”, and further set aside any investigation the Agency claimed to be conducting on its officer.
The Judge held that the DSS lacked the legal power to investigate its own officer in such a case under the National Security Agency Act that established it, adding: “The conduct of the DSS in hiding and shielding an officer accused of this terrible crime is condemnable.”
Also, he declared that only the police and the courts have jurisdiction to handle criminal allegations of this nature.
While reacting to the judgment, Walida’s family lawyer, Kabiru Adamu, welcomed the Court’s decision, saying “the ruling had restored hope in the judiciary. We welcome this judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, because it has confirmed that the court remains the last hope of the common man”.
Adamu further said the verdict would help ensure justice and due process in line with the law, even as urged the police to act swiftly once the officer is handed over, to ensure a transparent and speedy investigation.
However, the defence counsel for the DSS did not volunteer any comments following the court ruling.
Recalled that the Hadejia Magistrate Court had earlier ordered the DSS to release Walida to her parents without conditions, and hand over the suspected DSS officer, Onyewuenyi, to the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police for investigation. But the Secret Police had countered the magistrate court’s order by filing a suit at the Federal High Court, seeking to prevent the execution of the order.
This ongoing case involves 16-year-old Walida Abdulhadi, a resident of Hadejia Local Government Area, who was allegedly abducted in 2023 and sexually abused by Onyewuenyi, a DSS operative.
According to confirmed sources, the girl has since given birth to a baby girl while in the custody of the suspect and since the case became public, it has drawn attention within and outside Jigawa State.
