Fresh controversy has erupted over the age and alleged abduction of Walida Abdulhadi, the Jigawa girl recently released from the custody of the Department of State Services, as her family’s lawyer accuses federal authorities of distorting critical facts in the case.
Walida was handed over to Governor Umar Namadi following a court order secured by her family after months of public outcry. However, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, had earlier stated that records from the National Population Commission showed Walida was 22 years old at the time she was declared missing, insisting she was not a minor under the Child Rights Act.
The minister also maintained that Walida’s stay in DSS custody was voluntary, citing alleged threats to her life and affirming that her safety remained the government’s overriding priority. The DSS, through its spokesperson Favour Dozie, confirmed her transfer to the Jigawa State Government and stated that investigations into her alleged disappearance had been concluded, with legal processes ongoing.
In a sharp rebuttal, the family’s counsel, Barrister Kabiru Adamu, rejected the age verification claim as incorrect and misleading. He asserted that Walida was born in 2008 and was 16 at the time of the alleged abduction, adding that her school records support this position. According to him, presenting her as 22 years old amounts to a distortion of material facts.
The lawyer further alleged that the suspect, identified as Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, admitted to abducting Walida alongside six other girls, claiming he “did her a favour” by taking her. He also alleged that the suspect disclosed that the remaining girls were taken to Enugu by an associate, a claim that has intensified calls for a broader investigation.
Adamu has demanded that the suspect be produced in compliance with the court’s directive and transferred to Jigawa State for police investigation. He insisted that the matter cannot be resolved through compromise, stressing that only full adherence to judicial orders and transparent prosecution will address growing concerns over the disappearance of young girls in parts of Northern Nigeria.
