The State Security Service (SSS) has released Walida Abdulhadi, who is involved in a controversial relationship with an operative of the agency with whom she has a baby, to the Jigawa State Government.
She was handed over to Governor Umar Namadi and several top officials of the state government late on Wednesday at the SSS headquarters in Abuja, along with her baby.
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The release followed intense public debate over the relationship between the young woman from Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State and the SSS operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi.
The debate centres on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance in 2023, the birth of their baby, and Walida’s subsequent conversion to Christianity.
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Daily Trust reported that Governor Namadi said Walida is the daughter of Jigawa State and that the government will ensure her safety and full recovery from whatever trauma she might have passed through.
Mr Namadi said Walida would be under the custody of the state government, pending the resolution of all the contentious issues surrounding the relationship.
“Our concern is that Walida had been abducted,” he said, adding that the controversy will be tabled before a law court for adjudication.
“It is a state matter and will be treated as such,” the newspaper qouted the governor as saying.
Mr Namadi also said her baby girl with Mr Ifeanyi will also be under the custody of the state government.
“Walida will be kept in Abuja for now. She will be provided with adequate security. Her case is a state matter and will be treated as such,” the governor said.
On the issue of her age, the governor said the court will resolve the contention.
The governor was accompanied to the SSS headquarters in Abuja by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Haruna Aliyu; the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Bello Fanini; the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hadiza Abdulwahab; and her counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Nura Ibrahim, among others.
The Director General of the SSS, Adeola Ajayi, alongside principal officers of the Service, handed over Walida to Governor Namadi.
The Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) was represented by the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Haroun Muhammad, and a member of the Expanded General Purpose Committee, Najib Jimoh, the newspaper reported.
Walida was under protective custody – SSS DG
Speaking on why Walida was in their custody, Mr Ajayi said it was about respecting what the law says.
“It is unfortunate that people don’t learn from history in Nigeria. Our major concern is about the safety and the future of Walida.
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“She is a young woman who has the right to live, and we have the responsibility to ensure she is safe while the matter is being investigated.
“I invited the governor, which is the right thing to do, and he has seen what we are doing. It is an inter-agency investigation, and we deliberately invited various groups to be part of what we are doing.
“We also invited the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to ascertain her mental status,” he said.
Mr Ajayi said even though Walida has been handed over to the Jigawa State government, the SSS, police, Civil Defence, FIDA, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs would remain involved in her affairs.
“We have the capacity to investigate the matter,” he said.
He recalled that he was the State Director of the SSS in Bayelsa State when teenager Ese Oruru was allegedly abducted by her male partner who also got her pregnant. That issue also led to a national debate, mainly because of the age and religious difference of both parties.
