— Urges the Police to arrest and prosecute DSS operative, Mr Ifeanyi Festus, the alleged abductor and rapist.
A rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to, without further delay, comply with a Court Order and direct the immediate release of an abducted minor, Walida Abdulhadi, who is currently under the protective custody of the DSS in Abuja, to reunite with her parents, in Hadejia, Jigawa State.
The group further called on the Police to arrest and prosecute Mr Festus, as directed by the court.The demands were made in a statement issued on Tuesday, 24th February, 2026 by the Kano State Chairman of MURIC, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa.
The full statement reads:
“A court of competent jurisdiction had on January 7th, 2026 issued an Order directing the Department of State Services to ‘immediately release/reunite the victim (Walida Abdulhadi) to (sic) her parents.’
“The court, in addition, ordered that the defendant (Mr Ifeanyi Festus) be arrested by the Commissioner of police Jigawa Police Command or Deputy Director General of the State Security Services or any other officer under them. “The Order that the Jigawa State Police Commissioner shall commence a ‘discreet investigation’ of the case was similarly issued.
“The alleged abductor, a DSS operative, is being charged at the court for allegedly abducting a minor, serially raped her, resulting to her getting pregnant and forcefully converted her to Christianity.
The shock and trauma of Walida’s condition led to her mother’s sudden death.
“However, against all expectations, none of the above two Orders against the DSS was complied with and executed, in spite of the new approaches in DSS operations where the current D-G demonstrated a significant shift towards respect for human rights, accountability and transparency.
“The D-G, DSS, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, by prioritising accountability, transparency, and human rights, has set a positive tone for the agency and promoted a culture of responsibility and professionalism. D-G Ajayi is doing an excellent job.
“Nigerians widely commended the new tone at DSS with D-G Ajayi’s recent public apology and monetary compensation paid to some wrongly arrested and detained persons after their cases were reviewed by an administrative panel he commissioned.
*”We therefore find it genuinely perplexing and inexplicable how this case of alleged abduction, rape and forced conversion could go unpunished under his watch particularly disobedience of court order.
*”The D-G DSS is widely judged to be a responsible and honourable man who acknowledges errors and rectifies them swiftly.
He is said to be scrupulous at ensuring due process is followed to ensure the right thing is always done at the agency.
*”Significantly, D-G, Ajayi has spent larger part of his working years in the north, being excellently fluent in Hausa language and had done his studies at Bayero University, Kano, and is quite familiar with the norms, customs and values of northern Muslims.
*”It is therefore mind-boggling that a gentleman with such an impressive pedigree would allow a clear breach of the law to be manipulated into an issue capable of conflagrating into a religious conflict and igniting anti-DSS emotion.
“When it comes to religious tolerance, the DG may be a Christian by faith, but we are aware that he has personally supported Islamic schools and Islamic scholars.
This is another reason why we still find it difficult to understand why the DSS is foot-dragging in the case of forced conversion of a Muslim girl to Christianity.
*”Even without the involvement of MURIC, social media is now agog with the allegation of an attempt by the DSS to manipulate the case of the abducted girl and the frenzy to change the facts of the matter as demonstrated by the recent press interview granted by the girl is obviously an after thought and quite disingenuous.
It is in fact, subjudice.**”A press conference on the same matter held in Abuja yesterday by some concerned Muslims without our knowledge is another strong evidence of growing public anxiety over the matter.
*”The age of the girl was already established by the availability of her birth certificate and therefore any attempt to change the facts and inflate the age of the girl cannot succeed.
Her father is still alive and has testified to her actual age. Nigerian courts have consistently held that age can be proved by oral evidence.
“As is well known, under the Nigerian law of evidence and practice, age may be proved through (I) birth certificate issued by the National Population Commission (II) oral testament given by parents or guardians and (iii) medical or scientific assessment.
*”MURIC has sighted and is in possession of the copy of Walida’s birth certificate, which established her age as a minor in 2023, when she was criminally abducted by the Christian DSS operative.
In the year she was abducted, Walida was 15 years old; still after two years under abduction, and after being subjected to serial rape by Mr Ifeanyi Festus, and sadly given birth to a baby girl, she is still 17 years old!*
“Her professed conversion, in her recent choreographed interview with a national newspaper, is suspected to have been done under duress. It should be noted that the girl’s father has not been allowed to see her up till now.
That interview cannot stand in court. It is null and void and of no effect whatsoever. “Equally noteworthy is the fact that Section 8(II) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) stresses the rights of parents to their children in matters of religion. Walida, therefore, cannot be free to choose her own faith until she attains 18 years of age. “Under Nigerian law anyone below the age of 18 is a minor.
Additionally, Nigeria’s Child Rights Act specifies a 10 year sentence for abducting a child from lawful custody and a maximum life term for sexual relations with the child. It is assumed that these acts have all been evidently committed by the DSS operative.
*”Our position, therefore, is for the DSS to respect and obey judicial pronouncement by releasing Walida Abdulhadi to reunite with her parents while her alleged abducter and rapist be handed over to the Police, to face the full wrath of the law.**
“Allowing behind-the-scenes shenanigans to continue would only diminish institutional integrity of the agency, erode public trust and engender deep suspicion and resentment.
The DG DSS has a good reputation. He cannot afford to stain his hard earned public image on a matter that can be resolved by the courts.”
*Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, Chairman,Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),Kano State
