The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Walida Abdulhadi Ibrahim, the Jigawa-born girl whose disappearance and alleged detention sparked widespread outrage, to the custody of the Jigawa State Government.
Governor Umar Namadi took charge of Walida late Wednesday night, marking a dramatic turn in a case that had drawn national attention, legal battles and allegations of rights abuses against the intelligence agency.
Walida, who reportedly went missing from Hadejia about two years ago, became the subject of controversy after her family and civil society groups alleged she had been abducted, detained and exploited by a DSS operative. The claims triggered public protests and legal action, including a magistrate court order in Jigawa directing that she be released to her relatives and that the officer linked to her disappearance be investigated.
The DSS, however, consistently maintained that the young woman was in protective custody for her own safety, insisting she was not unlawfully detained. The agency’s stance deepened public suspicion, especially after reports that she had given birth while in custody and had been denied access to her family.
A central dispute in the case has been Walida’s age. Her relatives and activists insist she was about 16 at the time she disappeared, suggesting possible abduction and child abuse. Counter-claims from groups aligned with the DSS say official records show she was born in February 2004, making her an adult who left home voluntarily.
The prolonged custody and conflicting narratives led to comparisons with the high-profile Ese Oruru abduction saga, fuelling demands for accountability and judicial oversight of security agencies in domestic cases.
Walida’s handover to Governor Namadi is widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions and shift responsibility for her welfare and the ongoing investigation to the Jigawa State authorities. Officials are expected to conduct medical and psychological assessments and determine whether she will be reunited with her family or placed under state protection.
The Jigawa Government has yet to issue a detailed statement on her condition or the next steps, but rights advocates say the focus must now be on establishing her true age, ensuring her safety and pursuing any criminal liability that may arise from the circumstances of her disappearance and custody.
Abuja Network News
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