A Magistrate Court in Hadejia, Jigawa State, has issued an arrest warrant for an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Ifeanyi Festus.
The suspect, Mr. Ifeanyi Festus, is accused of abducting a minor, Walida Abdulhadi, two years ago. The family of the victim alleges that she was held in a DSS facility, where she was sexually exploited and forced to convert from Islam to Christianity without parental consent.
The presiding magistrate, Sadisu Musa, ruled that the victim must be released immediately from DSS custody and reunited with her family.
Legal representatives for the family, Gamji Lawchain, alleged that the victim gave birth while being held underage. The petition claims the detention was an institutional abuse of power rather than an incident of misconduct by a single officer.
Lawyers for the family have called for an independent investigation into the DSS facility at Karmajji, alleging that other officers may have aided the suspect.
The court has ordered the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police to investigate Mr. Festus instructed the DSS to relinquish custody of the minor immediately.
As at the time this report was published, the DSS national headquarters are yet to issue a response regarding the allegations raised against its officer for gross misconduct.
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