NSCIA opens probe into Walida–SSS operative controversy

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) says it has begun an inquiry into allegations that a male operative of the State Security Service (SSS) abducted a young woman from Jigawa State, brought her to Abuja and impregnated her.

The controversy involves Walida Abdulhadi and an SSS operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, and has generated widespread public debate over their relationship, the birth of their child and Walida’s reported conversion from Islam to Christianity.

Walida’s family alleges that Onyewuenyi abducted her from Jigawa, relocated her to Abuja, converted her to Christianity and impregnated her while she was still a minor.

However, in an interview, Walida rejected the claims, saying she met Onyewuenyi in Abuja after being brought to the capital by a woman identified as Mariam. She insisted she was not abducted or forced to change her religion, adding that she was already an adult when she moved to Abuja in 2023.

A central dispute in the case is her age. While her family maintains she was born in 2008 and therefore underage when the relationship began, Walida said she was born in 2004 and was 19 at the time she arrived in Abuja.

Tensions escalated after Walida declined to return home, alleging that her uncle threatened to kill her over her relationship with a Christian man. She is currently in what the SSS describes as protective custody.

Her family has demanded her release, citing a magistrate court order and accusing the security agency of bias and anti-Islamic conduct. The SSS, however, said the decision to keep Walida and her baby in custody was for their safety following the alleged threats against her.

The NSCIA has now formally stepped into the matter. Its Secretary-General, Ishaq Oloyede, confirmed that the council was engaging stakeholders to establish the facts before taking a position.

He said the council had initially exercised caution to avoid premature conclusions, referencing how the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) intervened in the 2015 case involving Yunusa Dahiru, who was accused of abducting Ese Oruru — a case that generated national controversy.

Oloyede added that the council would conduct a thorough investigation and had scheduled meetings on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Jigawa State Government confirmed it has also intervened to ensure due legal and administrative processes are followed.

According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, the state is working with relevant authorities to protect the rights and welfare of the affected citizen. The statement added that Governor Umar Namadi has initiated high-level consultations to ensure the case is handled fairly, transparently and without delay.

The government urged the public to remain calm while legal and official processes continue, assuring residents that the matter is receiving close attention.