Atiku Abubakar Isah, the factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), nearly two weeks after his arrest.
His detention followed allegations that Seyi Tinubu—the son of President Bola Tinubu—offered him a N100 million bribe to abandon his presidential ambition in favour of a government-backed candidate.
Atiku also alleged that Seyi Tinubu’s faction within NANS orchestrated a physical assault against him, naming Ladoja Olusola—his rival and the government’s preferred candidate—as the person who kicked him in the face during the altercation.
Previously, reports indicated that Atiku was detained on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, shortly after his inauguration as NANS president—a ceremony marred by attacks allegedly carried out by government-sponsored thugs.
He was subsequently taken to a DSS hospital on Airport Road in Abuja, where he was detained and coerced into writing a retraction of his allegations against Seyi Tinubu.
“Atiku Isah is still in DSS custody. His wife came around to see, but he was denied permission to go with her,” a source told SaharaReporters on Sunday.
A DSS officer, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity last week, revealed that Atiku was coerced into posing for a photograph with a gun placed in his hand—an image allegedly intended for use in blackmail.
“He was compelled to write the retraction letter as a condition for his release,” the source said. “He was arrested at the inauguration venue, and his phone was seized. Even though his condition has improved—he has completed his medication and now only uses eye drops—he remains in detention.”
Journalists also obtained a copy of a letter allegedly signed by Atiku under duress, in which he retracted all previous statements linking Seyi Tinubu to the reported bribe offer and assault.
On Friday, Atiku’s family raised alarm over his continued detention by the DSS, claiming he was being held incommunicado and denied access to legal counsel and relatives.
Speaking exclusively to newsmen, distressed family members accused the DSS of acting under the influence of Seyi Tinubu.
They also expressed outrage that the security agency had failed to arrest or investigate individuals who openly admitted to attacking Atiku with machetes and leaving him for dead.
“Our son has been abducted, stripped naked, and beaten to a pulp by known individuals who now boast freely on social media that nothing will happen to them because Tinubu is President,” a family member told newsmen.
“They used machetes on him. The evidence is everywhere—his injuries, the photos. But what is more heartbreaking is that since his abduction, we’ve had no access to him. His lawyers can’t reach him. Even we, his family, don’t know where he is or his state.”
A source had also earlier informed journalists that Atiku was enduring psychological and emotional torment while in detention.
“The world should know that Atiku is being denied access to lawyers and relatives,” the source said.
“The DSS is clearly working under political instructions, and everything points to Seyi Tinubu’s influence. This is not just unlawful; it is inhumane,” the source said.
The family further lamented that while their son remained in secret detention, his assailants were celebrating impunity.
“Those who beat him and left him for dead are walking around freely. They’re even mocking the system on social media, saying nothing will happen to them under Tinubu’s presidency,” a relative told newsmen.
“Is this justice? Is the DSS now a tool for suppressing victims and shielding political thugs?”
The family thanked Nigerians, particularly former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi for demanding justice for the embattled student leader.
“We are truly grateful for the support of well-meaning Nigerians who have stood with us. But we are begging President Bola Tinubu, Seyi Tinubu, and the DSS—please release our son. Atiku has done nothing wrong. Would the President sit and watch his own son suffer such brutal treatment?” the family added.
“We believe that everyone, no matter their power, will one day stand before God. For the sake of justice and humanity, release Atiku Abubakar Isah now.”
Sahara Reporters
