{"id":97994,"date":"2026-03-05T16:23:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T16:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=97994"},"modified":"2026-03-05T16:34:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T16:34:57","slug":"woman-sibling-father-and-government-who-is-right-on-age-love-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=97994","title":{"rendered":"Woman, Sibling, Father, and Government: Who Is Right on Age, Love Controversy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Nigeria is once again gripped by a complex human drama \u2014 one that blends family conflict, state power, religion, and a disputed love story. At the centre of the storm is <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>Walida Abdulhadi<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, a young woman from Jigawa State whose alleged abduction, relationship with a security operative, and disputed age have triggered a fierce national debate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">What began as a case of suspected kidnapping has now evolved into a tangled narrative involving <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>four competing voices<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">: the woman herself, her family, the federal government, and civil society observers. Each presents a different version of events \u2014 leaving Nigerians to ask a troubling question: <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>who is telling the truth?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>The Government\u2019s Position: \u201cShe Is 22 and Acting on Her Own\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Nigeria\u2019s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has publicly defended the federal government\u2019s handling of the case.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"CWiZvy27xq\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/2026\/02\/26\/npc-confirms-walida-is-22-as-minister-breaks-silence-over-controversy\/\">NPC Confirms Walida Is 22, as Minister Breaks Silence Over Controversy<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;NPC Confirms Walida Is 22, as Minister Breaks Silence Over Controversy&#8221; &#8212; Everyday.ng\" src=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/2026\/02\/26\/npc-confirms-walida-is-22-as-minister-breaks-silence-over-controversy\/embed\/#?secret=pFqIp7GNUt#?secret=CWiZvy27xq\" data-secret=\"CWiZvy27xq\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">After meeting Walida at the headquarters of the Department of State Services in Abuja, the minister announced that the National Population Commission had verified Walida\u2019s age as <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>22 years<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">That declaration dramatically alters the legal context. If Walida is indeed over 18, the case may no longer fall under Nigeria\u2019s <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>Child Rights framework<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, which defines a child as anyone below that age.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The minister also insisted that Walida\u2019s stay under DSS protection was <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>voluntary<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, explaining that credible threats to her life made security protection necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">According to government officials, the woman has also received medical attention from the Nigerian Medical Association and is being cared for along with her newborn child.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">But the government\u2019s claims have not silenced the controversy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>The Father\u2019s Rebuttal: \u201cMy Daughter Was Only 16\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Walida\u2019s father, <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>Malam Abdulhadi<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, has strongly rejected the official narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Speaking on a radio programme, he insisted that the minister\u2019s statement was based on <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>\u201cbaseless hearsay.\u201d<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> According to him, family records show Walida was born in <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>2008<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, meaning she was <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>about 16<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> when she allegedly disappeared in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">He argues that the timeline of his marriage proves his claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cI married her mother in 2007,\u201d he said. \u201cMy daughter was abducted when she was 16. She only recently turned 18.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">For him, the government\u2019s position undermines the family\u2019s quest for justice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cIf the minister did not give birth to her, how can she determine her age?\u201d he asked, demanding that the official retract her statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>The Sister\u2019s Testimony: A Family Timeline<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Walida\u2019s younger sister, Fatima Abdulhadi, has also weighed in on the controversy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">She claimed the family structure itself contradicts the official age verification.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cI am 14 years old,\u201d she said during the radio programme. \u201cMy brother who came after Walida is 16.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">According to her, Walida disappeared <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>two years ago<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, reinforcing the family\u2019s claim that she was still a minor at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Family members say the dispute over age is not merely technical \u2014 it determines whether the case is treated as <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>child trafficking or an adult relationship dispute<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>Walida\u2019s Story: Abduction, Survival, and Love<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">In an emotional interview, Walida herself offered a dramatically different account.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"GkOE6eQ9Oo\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/2026\/02\/22\/how-i-was-abducted-abused-exploited-and-landed-in-the-loving-arms-of-ifeanyi-a-dss-operative-walida\/\">How I was abducted, abused, exploited and landed in the &#8216;loving&#8217; arms of Ifeanyi, a DSS operative &#8211; Walida<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;How I was abducted, abused, exploited and landed in the &#8216;loving&#8217; arms of Ifeanyi, a DSS operative &#8211; Walida&#8221; &#8212; Everyday.ng\" src=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/2026\/02\/22\/how-i-was-abducted-abused-exploited-and-landed-in-the-loving-arms-of-ifeanyi-a-dss-operative-walida\/embed\/#?secret=h6lQ1BQfF8#?secret=GkOE6eQ9Oo\" data-secret=\"GkOE6eQ9Oo\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">She says her ordeal began in <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>2023<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, when she was still a <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>Senior Secondary School 2 student<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> in Jigawa.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">According to her narrative, she was lured by a woman identified as Mariam and eventually held in houses where several young women were allegedly exploited by visiting men.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">After months of abuse and forced relocation, Walida claims she eventually escaped and wandered through unfamiliar areas until she reached Abuja.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">That was when she encountered <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>Ifeanyi<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">, a man she identified as an operative of the DSS.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The officer allegedly provided shelter, food and protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Over time, their relationship became consensual.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cI lived with him\u2026 and we became partners,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">The relationship resulted in the birth of a baby girl.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Walida insists she is <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>not being held against her will<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> and wants to return to him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cI just want to live with Ifeanyi,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>A Family Clash Over Religion and Marriage<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Tensions escalated when Walida reconnected with her relatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">She claims family members insisted she abandon her baby and return home without the child.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">An uncle allegedly opposed the relationship on religious grounds, arguing that a Christian man should not marry a Muslim woman.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Walida also denied allegations that she was forced to convert to Christianity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u201cNobody converted me,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Her refusal to return with family members eventually led authorities to intervene, placing her under DSS protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>The Bigger Questions<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Beyond the personal drama, the case raises national concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Human rights groups say several issues demand independent scrutiny:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Whether Walida was <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>a minor at the time of her disappearance<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Allegations of <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>abduction and sexual exploitation before she reached Abuja<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 Possible <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>abuse of power involving a security operative<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">\u2022 The role of <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>religion and family pressure<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"> in determining her choices<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Civil society organisations are calling for transparent investigations to determine what really happened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 23px;\"><b>A Nation Waiting for the Truth<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">For now, the Walida Abdulhadi case remains unresolved \u2014 suspended between <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>conflicting timelines, competing narratives, and deeply personal loyalties<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Is she a victim of trafficking who was later protected by a kind stranger?<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Or an adult woman defending her right to love and choose her own life?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">With investigations still ongoing and emotions running high, Nigeria continues to watch closely \u2014 searching for clarity in a story where <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\"><b>truth, law, family, and freedom collide<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">.<\/span><!--\/data\/user\/0\/com.samsung.android.app.notes\/files\/clipdata\/clipdata_bodytext_260305_171741_925.sdocx--><\/p>\n<p>\u25cf Additional reporting by <strong>PRNigeria<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"m4yO1DzGAv\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/2026\/01\/15\/97186\/\">From Ese Oruru to Walida: Exposing selective outrage in child sexual exploitation cases<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;From Ese Oruru to Walida: Exposing selective outrage in child sexual exploitation cases&#8221; &#8212; Everyday.ng\" src=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/2026\/01\/15\/97186\/embed\/#?secret=0xBl4AAw16#?secret=m4yO1DzGAv\" data-secret=\"m4yO1DzGAv\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nigeria is once again gripped by a complex human drama \u2014 one that blends family conflict, state power, religion, and a disputed love story. At the centre of the storm is Walida Abdulhadi, a young woman from Jigawa State whose alleged abduction, relationship with a security operative, and disputed age have triggered a fierce national [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":97802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5777],"tags":[8097,169,1976,673,8055,7820],"class_list":["post-97994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-features","tag-child-rights","tag-dss","tag-father","tag-government","tag-imaan","tag-walida"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}