The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Walida Abdulhadi Ibrahim, the missing girl from Jigawa State who had been in its custody, to her state governor, Umar Namadi.
According to a report from Daily Trust, Walida was released to Governor Namadi late on Wednesday at the DSS office in Abuja.
She was released by the Director General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi.
Speaking at the DSS headquarters, Governor Namadi said Walida would be under the custody of the state government pending when all the contentious issues surrounding her abduction are resolved.
“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,” he said.
He also said the baby girl delivered by Walida for a DSS operative, Ifeanyi, will also be under the custody of the Jigawa State government.
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When asked why her parents were not carried along and whether she will be taken back to Jigawa, the governor said: “Taking her into our custody does not automatically mean that she will be taken back to Jigawa.
“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.”
On the issue of her age, the governor said the court will resolve the contention.
Speaking on why they kept Walida in their custody since her recovery from Ifeanyi in January 2026, Ajayi said it was about respecting what the law says.
He said: “It is unfortunate that people don’t learn from history in Nigeria.
“Our major concern is about the safety and the future of Walida.
“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.”
Ajayi said though Walida has been handed over to the Jigawa State government, the DSS, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps )NSCDC), Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), and 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 DSS in Bayelsa State when Ese Oruru was allegedly abducted.
He lamented that some unpatriotic Nigerians took advantage of the incident to whip up sentiments.
He also said Ifeanyi was still in the custody of the Service and would not be spared if found wanting.
He said: “He will face the music when found wanting.
“We have rules guiding our operations.”
Governor Namadi was accompanied to the headquarters of the DSS in Abuja by the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Aliyu; Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Bello Abdulkadir Fanini; Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab; and her counterpart in the Ministry of the Environment, Dr. Nura Ibrahim Doka, among others.
Ajayi, alongside principal officers of the Service, handed over Walida to the governor.
