A Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State capital, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to hand over its operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, to the police for investigation over allegations of abduction and sexual assault involving a teenage girl.
The court also ordered the unconditional release of the victim, Walida Abdulhadi, a 16-year-old from Hadejia Local Government Area of the state.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Hassan Dikko directed that the suspect be transferred to the police for a full investigation, dismissing any internal probe reportedly conducted by the DSS. The court described the agency’s actions as an attempt to shield its operative from accountability.
The judge characterised the alleged conduct as “condemnable,” stressing the gravity of the accusations.
According to the case presented before the court, the DSS operative was accused of abducting the teenager, sexually assaulting her, and forcefully converting her to Christianity. The victim reportedly gave birth to a baby girl during the period.
Following public outcry, the DSS had earlier handed the teenager over to the Jigawa State Government.
Counsel to the victim’s family, Kabiru Adamu, welcomed the judgment, describing it as a victory for justice and the rule of law.
“This ruling reinforces public confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man,” he said, urging the police to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.
The development follows an earlier order by a Magistrate’s Court in Hadejia, which had directed the release of the teenager and the transfer of the suspect to the police—an order that was subsequently challenged by the DSS at the Federal High Court.