A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately release a 16-year-old girl, Walida Abdulhadi, and hand over one of its operatives, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, to the police for investigation.
The court’s directive followed allegations that the teenager, a resident of Hadejia Local Government Area, was abducted and sexually abused by a DSS operative in 2023.
Reports are that Abdulhadi became pregnant while in the custody of the suspect and has since given birth to a baby girl.
NOP NIGERIA reports that the case, which has drawn widespread attention within and beyond Jigawa State, had been adjourned on March 26 after both the prosecution and defence presented their arguments.
Court Orders Unconditional Release
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hassan Dikko directed the DSS to release the teenager without any condition.
The judge also ordered the secret police to produce Onyewuenyi and hand him over to the Jigawa State Police Command for a thorough investigation.
In his ruling, Justice Dikko condemned the DSS for allegedly protecting its operative accused of committing what he described as a “heinous act.”
“The conduct of the DSS in hiding and shielding an officer accused of this terrible crime is condemnable,” the judge declared.
The court further nullified any internal investigation the DSS claimed to be conducting on the matter.
Justice Dikko held that the DSS does not have the legal authority to investigate its own officer in a criminal case of such nature under the law establishing it.
He stressed that only the police and the courts have jurisdiction over criminal allegations.
Reacting to the verdict, counsel to the victim’s family, Kabiru Adamu, described the ruling as a victory for justice and due process.
“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 said.
He added that the decision would help ensure justice is served in accordance with the law.
Adamu urged the police to act promptly once the suspect is handed over, stressing the need for a transparent and speedy investigation.
The development comes after a Magistrate Court in Hadejia had earlier directed the DSS to release the teenager to her parents unconditionally and transfer the suspect to the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police.
However, the DSS challenged the order at the Federal High Court, seeking to halt its execution before Tuesday’s ruling reaffirmed the directive.
