Residents of Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State on Tuesday staged a protest demanding justice for Walida Abdulhadi, who was allegedly abducted by Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, a Department of State Services (DSS) officer.

The protesters, made up of lawyers, women’s groups and civil society organisations, marched through parts of the town before heading for the palace of the Emir of Hadejia, where they submitted a formal petition over the matter.

Leading the protest, Chairman of the Hadejia Ina Mafita Initiative, Dr. Hussaini Shehu, said the demonstration was organised to express the community’s displeasure over what they described as an alleged plan to release the suspect.

He said the group would continue to push for justice until the matter is fully addressed in accordance 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 follow the issue closely and ensure that appropriate action is taken.

Also speaking during the protest, Walida’s lawyer, Barrister Kabiru Adamu, said the legal team would intensify efforts to ensure that the DSS officer involved faces the consequences of his alleged actions.

According to him, holding the suspect accountable would serve as a deterrent to others.

The lawyer also accused the Minister of Women Affairs and the DSS of allegedly distorting 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 inaccurate, maintaining that Walida was born in 2008, a year after her parents were married in 2007.

He argued that the statement by the minister amounted to a misrepresentation 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 was in the custody of 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 she fled.

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

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