A Federal High Court in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, has adjourned the hearing of a case seeking the unconditional release of Walida Abdulhadi and her reunion with her family until March 26, 2026.
Walida was reportedly abducted from Hadejia Local Government Area and allegedly sexually assaulted by Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is said to be an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The presiding judge, Justice Hassan Dikko, granted the adjournment after counsel to the defence, Abdulmalik Sani, requested additional time to file a counter-affidavit in response to the application submitted by the plaintiff.
During the court session, the plaintiff’s counsel, Kabir Adamu, told the court that he was prepared to proceed with the case and move the application requesting the immediate release of the victim and her reunification with her family.
The plaintiff is also asking the court to order the DSS to transfer the suspect, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, to the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police for further investigation.
After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Dikko adjourned the matter to March 26, 2026, to hear preliminary objections and other pending applications.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, Adamu explained that the legal action was initiated to seek justice for the victim.
He said the legal team is requesting the court to ensure Walida’s unconditional release and reunion with her family, as well as compel the DSS to hand over the suspect to the police for a proper investigation.
Adamu also argued that the DSS should not be allowed to investigate the matter because it is directly involved in the case.
According to him, allowing the agency to handle the investigation would amount to being “a judge in its own case”. He added that the respondents requested more time to organise their records and prepare their counter-affidavit.
