Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State last night took custody of Walida Abdulhadi Ibrahim, the missing girl from Jigawa State, who had been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

He said the issues relating to her abduction would be handled by the courts, assuring that justice will be served.

The governor said Walida is the daughter of Jigawa State and that the government will ensure her safety and full recovery from whatever trauma she might have passed through.

The governor was accompanied to the headquarters of the DSS in Abuja by the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Aliyu; the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Bello Abdulkadir Fanini; the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab; and her counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Dr Nura Ibrahim Doka, among others.

The Director General of the DSS, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, alongside principal officers of the Service, handed over Walida to the governor.

The Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) was represented by the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Barrister Haroun Muhammad, and a member of the Expanded General Purpose Committee, Alhaji Najib Jimoh.

Officials of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), other civil society organisations, and the media were present.

However, Walida’s parents were not present at the DSS headquarters during the handing over, which lasted until around 10:40 pm.

Walida was allegedly abducted from Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State by one Mariam, who later subjected her to sexual exploitation before she fled.

She later found herself in Abuja and thereafter moved in with an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi.

She gave birth to a baby girl in November 2025.

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, Weekend Trust exclusively published an interview with Walida during which she narrated her harrowing experiences.

Walida went missing in 2023, and in December 2025, her father received a call from Ifeanyi, the DSS operative, who informed him that she was with him.

After strenuous efforts by her relatives to recover her from Ifeanyi proved abortive, a petition was reportedly filed by her uncle at the DSS headquarters in Abuja, and thereafter, the family approached a court in Jigawa State.

The court directed that Walida should be released to her parents, but the DSS filed a counter-motion, insisting that they were investigating the matter.

Following the Weekend Trust story, various groups voiced reservations about the continued stay of Walida in the custody of the DSS.

On Monday, a coalition comprising the Abuja chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), the Muslim Students’ Organisation of Nigeria (MSO), and Women in Da’awa addressed a world press conference in Abuja where they called for the transfer of Walida to a neutral ground.

Speaking on behalf of the Concerned Coalition for Walida Abdulhadi, Ustaz Yunus Salahudeen said the matter goes beyond religion and touches on broader issues of justice, constitutional order, and human rights.

He said Walida’s disappearance caused her family “unimaginable distress” for more than two years, adding that her father, overwhelmed by uncertainty, performed funeral rites believing his daughter was dead.

The raging controversy revolved around Walida’s alleged abduction, conversion to Christianity and custody.

Walida and daughter will be safe – Jigawa gov

In his remarks at the DSS headquarters yesterday, Governor Namadi said Walida would be under the custody of the state government, pending when all the contentious issues surrounding her abduction were resolved.

“Our concern is that Walida had been abducted,” he said, adding that the controversy will be tabled before a law court for adjudication.

“It is a state matter and will be treated as such,” he said.

He also said the baby girl delivered by Walida for Ifeanyi will also be under the custody of the Jigawa State government.

When asked why her parents were not carried along and whether she will be taken back to Jigawa, the governor said, “Taking her into our custody does not automatically mean that she will be taken back to Jigawa.

“Walida will be kept in Abuja for now. She will be provided with adequate security. Her case is a state matter and will be treated as such,” he said.

On the issue of her age, the governor said the court will resolve the contention.

Our intervention is about law and order – DSS DG

Speaking on why they kept Walida in their custody since her recovery from Ifeanyi in January 2026, the Director General, Mr Ajayi, said it was about respecting what the law says.

“It is unfortunate that people don’t learn from history in Nigeria. Our major concern is about the safety and the future of Walida.

“She is a young woman who has the right to live, and we have the responsibility to ensure she is safe while the matter is being investigated.

“I invited the governor, which is the right thing to do, and he has seen what we are doing. It is an inter-agency investigation, and we deliberately invited various groups to be part of what we are doing.

“We also invited the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to ascertain her mental status,” he said.

Ajayi said even though Walida has been handed over to the Jigawa State government, the DSS, police, Civil Defence, FIDA, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs would remain involved in her affairs.

“We have the capacity to investigate the matter,” he said.

He recalled that he was the State Director of the DSS in Bayelsa State when Ese Oruru was allegedly abducted.

He lamented that some unpatriotic Nigerians took advantage of the incident to whip up sentiments.

‘Ifeanyi in detention’

The DG DSS also said Ifeanyi was still in the custody of the Service and will not be spared if found wanting.

“He will face the music when found wanting. We have rules guiding our operations,” he said.

Barrister Haroun Muhammad said the NSCIA got involved in the Walida affair in order to de-escalate tension.

“The matter is capable of throwing the country into chaos. It can deepen the unfortunate existing division between Muslims and Christians, and whatever happened here today will send the right or wrong signal to society,” he said. (Daily Trust, excluding headline)

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