The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the arrest of one of its active personnel, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, following serious allegations that he forcefully converted and married a young woman identified as Walida Abdulhadi. The development was disclosed in an official statement issued by the DSS on Friday and widely reported on Saturday.
The announcement came amid swirling social media reports accusing a supposed DSS staff member named Ifeanyi Festus of involvement in abduction, defilement, abuse of office and other offences. However, the service swiftly denied any record of an employee by that name, clarifying that the individual currently under investigation is IfEanyi Onyewuenyi.
According to the DSS statement made available by Favour Dozie, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Onyewuenyi is being held and is the subject of an internal investigation for alleged misconduct that “is against our regulations and laid-down code of conduct.” The service assured that the outcome of the investigation will be made public once concluded.
Media reports indicate that the arrest follows a petition filed on January 4, 2026, by lawyers from Abuja-based Gamji Lawchain on behalf of Walida’s father. The petition, which prompted a magistrate’s court order in Hadejia, Jigawa State, accused Onyewuenyi of abducting Walida from her hometown when she was reportedly 16 years old.
In the petition, the family alleged that Walida was unlawfully detained over an extended period, subjected to forced religious conversion from Islam to Christianity without parental consent, and was sexually exploited — an alleged ordeal that reportedly resulted in pregnancy and childbirth. The petitioners further claimed that the prolonged disappearance and trauma experienced by the family contributed to the death of Walida’s mother.
A dramatic turn in the case emerged when Onyewuenyi allegedly contacted the teenager’s father on January 1, informing him that his daughter had been with him, was pregnant, and that he intended to marry her. The family’s representative reportedly visited a DSS facility in Abuja’s Karmajiji district, where they were allegedly told that Walida had been living there during her absence — a claim that the DSS arrangement has not yet officially confirmed.
While the DSS has taken the operative into custody, it remains emphatic that the matters are under investigation and that formal findings will be disclosed in due course. The statement reiterated that any conduct found to violate the Service’s codes will be addressed appropriately.
The case has stirred public debate over security agency accountability, abuse of power, and the protection of minors under Nigerian law, with calls from civil society and legal professionals for a transparent and thorough inquiry.
