The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested one of its officers, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, over alleged abduction, defilement, and forceful conversion of a 16-year-old girl, Walida Abdulhadi, to Christianity in Abuja.
According to Punch, the arrest followed a petition submitted by an Abuja-based law firm, Gamji Lawchain, dated January 4.
The law firm in the petition submitted to the DSS Director-General on behalf of the girl’s father, Abdulhadi Ibrahim, and his family, accused the DSS officer of abducting the teenager from the Hadejia area of Jigawa State when she was allegedly just 16 years old.
The law firm accused Onyewuenyi of abducting Walida when she was a minor, adding that she is legally incapable of consenting to any sexual relationship under Nigerian law.
According to the petition, the family reportedly searched for the girl for more than two years without success, with the prolonged emotional trauma said to have contributed to the death of her mother.
“The anxiety, fear, and emotional devastation of losing their underage daughter slowly destroyed the mother, who eventually died as a direct consequence of the psychological trauma,” the petition stated.
However, the petition noted a dramatic twist on January 1 when the DSS officer reportedly called the girl’s father, informing the family that their daughter had been with him all along, had given birth to a child, and that he was ready to marry her.
It further stated that due to age and ill health, the father sent a representative, Muhammad Badamasi Ibrahim, to a DSS facility in Abuja, where he was allegedly informed that Walida had been living inside a DSS residence throughout the period of her disappearance.
The law firm claimed that when the family demanded the girl’s release, the request was allegedly refused.
The counsel further alleged that while under the suspect’s custody, Walida was converted from Islam to Christianity without her parents’ consent and subjected to sexual exploitation that resulted in pregnancy and childbirth, all while she was still a minor.
The law firm described the DSS officer’s action as “moral bankruptcy in uniform” and warned that failure to act decisively could erode public trust in state institutions
The law firm demanded the immediate suspension, arrest, and prosecution of the DSS officer, as well as an independent investigation into the Karmajiji DSS facility.
It also demanded the release and protection of Walida and her child, and disciplinary action against any DSS personnel found complicit.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, the DSS Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, confirmed the arrest of a DSS officer named Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi in connection with Walida’s order
Dozie said the officer was being investigated over the suspected forceful conversion and marriage of Walida, adding that the investigation was currently in progress.
“The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to reports alleging involvement of a staff of DSS, one Ifeanyi Festus, in a case of abduction, defilement of a minor, and abuse of office, among other offences. For clarity, the Service has no record of the 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,” the statement said.
The DSS spokesperson maintained that such acts were against the agency’s regulations and laid-down code of conduct, adding that the outcome of the investigation would be made public.