The Department of State Services (DSS) has taken swift action against one of its personnel, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who has been accused of abducting, defiling, and forcing the conversion of a 16-year-old girl, Walida Abdulhadi.
The arrest was made following a petition submitted to the DSS Director-General by an Abuja-based law firm, Gamji Lawchain, on behalf of the victim’s father, Alhaji Abdulhadi Ibrahim. The petition, dated January 4, 2026, alleged that Onyewuenyi had abducted the teenager from Hadejia, Jigawa State, when she was still a minor.
The petition stated, “The anxiety, fear, and emotional devastation of losing their underage daughter slowly destroyed the mother, who eventually died as a direct consequence of the psychological trauma.” The family had been searching for the girl for over two years, and the emotional trauma caused by her disappearance had taken a toll on them.
According to the petition, Onyewuenyi had contacted the girl’s father on January 1, claiming that the victim had been with him and had given birth to a child. The law firm alleged that when the father sent a representative to a DSS facility in Abuja, they discovered that the victim had been living in a DSS residence throughout her disappearance.
The law firm further alleged that the victim had been subjected to sexual exploitation and converted from Islam to Christianity without parental consent. Describing the incident as “moral bankruptcy in uniform,” the firm demanded the immediate suspension and prosecution of Onyewuenyi, an independent investigation into the Karmajiji DSS facility, and the release of the victim and her child.
The DSS has confirmed the arrest of Onyewuenyi and stated that he is currently being investigated. In a statement, the DSS Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Mr Favour Dozie, said:
“The attention of the Department of State Services has been drawn to reports alleging involvement of a staff of DSS, one Ifeanyi Festus, in a case of abduction, defilement of a minor, and abuse of office, among other offences. For clarity, the Service has no record of the above-named in its employment.
“However, it is hereby confirmed that an active staff, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is suspected to have forcefully converted and married one Walida Abdulhadi ‘f’, has been arrested and is currently being investigated.”
Dozie maintained that such acts contravened the agency’s regulations and code of conduct, adding that the outcome of the investigation would be made public.
Credit: EmergencyDigest.com
