The Silence of the Conscience: Walida, Ese, and Nigeria’s Mirror of Selective Outrage

The Silence of the Conscience: Walida, Ese, and Nigeria’s Mirror of Selective Outrage - Haruna Abubakar Bebeji 

The year is 2026, yet for the family of Walida Abdulhadi Ibrahim, time has frozen in a recurring nightmare. A decade ago, Nigeria’s collective moral compass was gripped by the plight of Ese Oruru—a 13-year-old Christian girl abducted from Bayelsa and taken to Kano. Today, history has repeated itself with a chilling, inverted symmetry. But this time, the victim is a Muslim girl, the alleged perpetrator is a high-ranking state operative, and the national outcry is a haunting whisper.

Walida’s story is more than a legal dispute; it is a scathing indictment of a nation that seemingly measures justice by the creed of the victim and the identity of the oppressor.

The Vanishing of Walida

According to her father, Malam Abdulhadi Ibrahim, Walida disappeared from Hadejia, Jigawa State, in 2023 at the age of 15. For two years, the family endured an agonizing void—a grief so heavy it is believed to have claimed the life of Walida’s mother, who died never knowing if her daughter was alive.

The silence broke in December 2025 with a phone call from Abuja. The caller was Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS). His message was blunt: Walida was with him, had converted to Christianity, and had given birth to his child via Caesarean section. He expressed his intention to marry her.

Despite a Hadejia Magistrate Court ordering Onyewuenyi’s arrest and Walida’s immediate release, she remains in "protective custody" at the DSS headquarters. The agency claims she fears her family. Muslim rights groups, including MURIC and FOMWAN, have rightly asked: Can a security agency be the investigator, the jailer, and the judge in a case involving its own officer?

The Ghost of Ese Oruru

It is impossible to ignore the ghost of 2016. When Ese Oruru was taken, the nation erupted. The #FreeEse movement trended for weeks; civil society roared, and the federal government moved with lightning speed. Yunusa "Yellow" Dahiru was eventually sentenced to 26 years in prison.

The contrast today is staggering. Where is the #FreeWalida movement? Where is the saturation media coverage? Why has the moral panic that fueled the Ese Oruru case been replaced by a clinical, bureaucratic "investigation"?

As public affairs analyst Yushau A. Shuaib pointedly observed, the muted reaction suggests that in Nigeria, empathy is often filtered through a religious lens. When the roles are reversed, a national crisis suddenly becomes a "complex domestic matter" requiring further study.

A Scripted Narrative?

The DSS narrative paints Walida as a 22-year-old adult who fled her home voluntarily. Yet, the facts are stubborn. Her father maintains she was born in 2008, making her a minor at the time of her disappearance and her pregnancy.

Human rights lawyer Hamza Nuhu Dantani has characterized the official version as a "scripted interview" designed to shield a suspect. We must ask: Is the voice we hear from "protective custody" the voice of a free woman, or the curated testimony of a victim suffering from trauma and institutional coercion?

A Call to the Soul of Nigeria

This is not merely a "Muslim issue" or a "Northern issue." This is a Nigerian issue. It is a test of whether the "Rule of Law" is a universal shield or a selective weapon.

 * To the Authorities: We demand the DSS comply with the court order. Walida should be moved to a neutral third party, such as NAPTIP or the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, to ensure her testimony is truly her own.

 * To the Media and Civil Society: Your silence is an admission of bias. If the circumstances of Ese Oruru demanded outrage, the circumstances of Walida Abdulhadi demand no less.

 * To the Nation: A crime against one child is a crime against every household. The tears of a father in Hadejia carry the same weight as those of a father in Yenagoa.

In 2016, we promised "Never Again." In 2026, Walida Abdulhadi stands as living proof that we failed to keep that promise. It is time to break the silence and prove that in Nigeria, justice is not a commodity reserved for the preferred narrative.

#JusticeForWalida

#FreeWalida

My name is Haruna Abubakar Bebeji.  

I'm a passionate writer, content manager and blogger from Kano, Nigeria. I started writing online about politics, governance and day-to-day issues to share my thoughts, ideas, and experiences in this space. Over time, my blog has become a space for me to inspire, motivate, and entertain others.  

I'm committed to bringing engaging, quality content that will help make anyone's life just a little bit better. I love to explore new topics, review products, and discuss the latest trends in politics and governance. 

I write in both English and Hausa and as a certified International Translator and Interpreter, I Translate from English to Hausa or Hausa to English. When I'm not writing, managing or creating content, you can find me outside enjoying nature, reading, or spending time with family or friends.  

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