Monday, January 12, 2026 - The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested one of its personnel, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, over allegations of abducting and defiling a 16-year-old girl (name withheld) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The Director of Public Relations and Strategic
Communications of the DSS, Favour Dozie, confirmed the arrest in a statement
issued in Maiduguri, Borno State.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports alleging the
involvement of a staff member of the DSS, one Ifeanyi Festus, in a case of
abduction, sexual abuse of a minor and abuse of office, among other offences,”
Dozie said.
According to her, investigations are ongoing into
allegations of the forceful conversion and marriage of the victim.
“It is hereby confirmed that an active staff member, Ifeanyi
Onyewuenyi, who is suspected to have forcefully converted and married the
victim, has been arrested and is currently under investigation,” the statement
said.
The DSS spokesperson noted that the alleged actions
contravened the agency’s regulations and code of conduct, adding that the
findings of the investigation would be made public.
Reports said the arrest followed a petition dated January 4,
2026, written by an Abuja-based law firm, Gamji Lawchain, and addressed to the
DSS Director-General on behalf of the girl’s father, Alhaji Abdulhadi Ibrahim,
and his family.
The law firm alleged in the petition that the officer
abducted the teenager from the Hadejah area of Jigawa State when she was 16
years old.
The petition read in part: “The anxiety, fear and emotional
devastation of losing their underage daughter slowly destroyed the mother,
who eventually died as a direct consequence of the psychological trauma.”
The law firm argued that, as the victim was a minor at the
time of her disappearance, Nigerian law considers her legally incapable of
giving consent to any sexual relationship.
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