Lawyer Petitions DSS DG Over Alleged Abduction, Sexual Abuse Of Jigawa Minor

A human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has petitioned the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged abduction, sexual abuse and continued custody of a minor, Walida Abdulhadi, from Jigawa State.

In a detailed letter reportedly seen by SaharaReporters on Monday, Dantani, who is also a member of the Citizens’ Liberty Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, raised concerns about what he described as a “desperate, calculated, and coordinated attempt to cover up a case involving a minor.”

According to the petition, Walida was abducted in 2023 while she was a Senior Secondary School II student.

Her father, Dantani, has repeatedly stated publicly that his daughter was and remains a minor.

“These facts have never been controverted with credible evidence,” the petition stated.

Naija News reports that the lawyer also faulted a recent publication by Daily Trust, which featured an interview purportedly granted by Walida.

He alleged that the interview appeared scripted and designed to protect a DSS operative, identified as Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is under suspicion in the matter.

According to Dantani, the narrative in the publication sought to portray Walida as 22 years old and claimed she only encountered the operative after turning 18 in 2024, a version he said was crafted to shield the officer from criminal liability.

The petition further highlighted the introduction of a character named Mariam in the interview, alleged to have abducted and sexually molested Walida before she was transferred to Abuja.

“To further muddy the waters, the script introduces a so-called Mariam, alleged to have abducted Walida, taken her to a house in Hadeja, and repeatedly sexually molested her. She was scripted to claim she stayed with Mariam until 2024, after which she was taken to Abuja,” Dantani wrote.

He described the narrative as legally incoherent and factually insulting, stressing that Walida was in SS2 in 2023, an academic level that typically places her age between 13 and 15.

Even under what he termed “generous assumptions,” he argued she would not have been older than 17 in 2025.

Dantani stated that Walida gave birth to a baby girl in 2025, allegedly fathered by the DSS operative.

“This incontrovertibly establishes that sexual intercourse occurred at least nine months earlier, at a time when Walida was still a minor. No amount of legal gymnastics, scripted interviews, or intervening stories of a ‘faceless Mariam’ can erase this reality,” he wrote.

Alleged Conflict Of Interest

The activist accused the DSS of operating under a serious conflict of interest in handling the matter.

“How can the DSS claim neutrality when the principal suspect is its own operative, thereby making the Service a judge in its own cause?” Dantani asked.

He urged the immediate release of Walida to her parents or lawful guardians, insisting that the DSS was not legally empowered to withhold a child from her family.

Retaining her in what he described as “safe custody” while allowing media exposure, he argued, violates both the letter and spirit of the law.

Naija News reports that the petition referenced Nigeria’s adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Child Rights Act 2003, emphasising the legal protections afforded to minors.

It stressed that in all actions concerning a child, the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration.

The law, he noted, mandates protection and care necessary for a child’s well-being, while recognising the rights and responsibilities of parents or legal guardians to provide guidance.

The petition further underscored that children are entitled to freedom of religion, privacy, protection from media exposure, and freedom from physical, mental or emotional harm, sexual abuse, degrading treatment, or attacks on their honour.

Call For Independent Probe

Dantani called on the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, gender-protection agencies and the Jigawa State Government to intervene in the matter.

“If this case is left for the distraught father to pursue alone, justice may never see the light of day,” the petition warned.

He urged the DSS to release Walida to her parents, transfer the investigation to an independent authority, and allow relevant child and gender-protection agencies to secure her welfare.

“It is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law, child protection, and institutional accountability,” Dantani wrote, calling on authorities to act swiftly and transparently.

Naija News understands that in January 2026, a Magistrate Court in Jigawa State ordered the arrest of a serving DSS officer over allegations of child abduction, sexual exploitation, unlawful detention and forcible religious conversion involving a 16-year-old girl.

In the court order dated January 7, 2026, the magistrate directed the Commissioner of Police, Jigawa State Command, or senior officials of the DSS to arrest the respondent, identified as Ifeanyi Festus (Onyewuenyi), and discreetly investigate the alleged offences pursuant to Sections 125 and 102(5) of the Jigawa State Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

The court also ordered the DSS to immediately release and reunite the alleged victim, Walida, with her parents.

The DSS, in January, confirmed that Ifeanyi had been arrested and was under investigation.

According to SaharaReporters, DSS Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, said, “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to reports alleging involvement of a staff of DSS, one Ifeanyi Festus (Onyewuenyi), in a case of abduction, defilement of a minor and abuse of office, among other offences.

“For clarity, the Service has no record of above named in its employment.

“However, it is hereby confirmed that, an active staff, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is suspected to have forcefully converted and married one Walida Abdulhadi ‘f’, has been arrested and is currently being investigated.

“It must be stressed that, such acts are against our regulations and laid down code of conduct.”