DSS RELEASES JIGAWA TEENAGER WALIDA IBRAHIM TO STATE GOVT
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has officially handed over Walida Ibrahim, the Jigawa State teenager whose 2023 disappearance sparked national attention, to the Jigawa State Government under Governor Umar Namadi.
The release, confirmed in a statement on Thursday by Favour Dozie, Deputy Director of Public Relations at DSS Headquarters in Abuja, took place at around 5:45 pm on February 26, 2026.
According to the DSS, the handover followed the completion of investigations by a joint interagency committee set up to probe the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. The committee included officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Muslim Lawyers Association (MULAN), Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), and other civil society organisations.
Walida, who was reportedly 16 when she went missing in November 2023, had resurfaced in connection with Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, a serving DSS operative. She gave birth to a baby girl in November 2025, a development that intensified public scrutiny of the case.
In a Daily Trust interview on February 21, Walida recounted her experiences, stating she voluntarily followed a woman named Mariam from her hometown in Anku, Hadejia, and was later relocated to various locations, eventually meeting Ifeanyi in Abuja. She denied being abducted or forcibly converted to Christianity, insisting that her relationship with Ifeanyi was consensual.
Following the DSS investigation, Walida was released to state authorities to be housed in a secure government facility, where she will remain under protection while ongoing litigations continue.
Governor Umar Namadi, accompanied by senior officials including the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, the Attorney-General, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs, received Walida at the DSS headquarters. The governor described her as “a daughter of Jigawa State” and pledged full support for her safety, recovery, and welfare, while assuring that justice will be pursued through the courts.
The DSS emphasized its continued cooperation and transparency in the ongoing legal proceedings, assuring the public that Walida remains under the care and protection of state authorities.
This handover marks a significant milestone in a case that has drawn national and international attention, highlighting concerns over child welfare, exploitation, and the handling of sensitive cases by security and judicial authorities.
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