A Jigawa State Magistrate Court issued an arrest warrant for Department of State Services (DSS) officer Ifeanyi Festus on January 9, 2026.
It came over grave allegations of abducting, sexually exploiting, and forcibly converting a 16-year-old Muslim girl.
Moreover, Magistrate Sadisu Musa granted the order in Hadejia.
Abdulhadi Ibrahim — the girl’s father — filed an urgent application through lawyers from Gamji Lawchain.
Furthermore, the court directed the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police to apprehend Festus immediately.
It also ordered a discreet, thorough investigation under relevant sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
Additionally, the ruling compelled the DSS to release Walida Abdulhadi without delay.
It required her immediate reunion with her family.
According to the petition, Walida vanished from Hadejia over two years ago at age 16.
Her family searched desperately for months.Eventually, they feared she had died.
The prolonged anguish, the filing claims, contributed directly to her mother’s death from severe emotional trauma.
Festus allegedly contacted the father on New Year’s Day 2026 with a shocking revelation.
Walida had lived with him the entire time. She had converted from Islam to Christianity and had given birth to his child.
He reportedly expressed readiness to marry her.
This proposal outraged the family and prompted the legal action.
Multiple sources describe the alleged offences as involving unlawful detention.
They include repeated rape of a minor and forced religious conversion without parental consent.
The petition further accuses other DSS personnel of complicity.It labels the acts as potential institutional abuse of power.
The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media and among rights advocates.
They demand full accountability from the security agency. As of January 9, 2026, neither the DSS nor Festus has issued a public response to the court’s directives.
The family and their legal team insist the matter exposes dangerous misuse of state authority.
It targets vulnerable citizens. They call for swift prosecution.
They also seek protection for Walida and her newborn. Moreover, they demand an independent probe into any facilities involved.
This ruling marks a significant judicial step in a deeply distressing saga.
It has devastated one family and raised urgent questions about child protection, gender-based violence, and oversight within Nigeria’s security apparatus.
