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 on April 29, 2025. His detention followed a controversial inauguration ceremony disrupted by alleged government-sponsored thugs.
Reports suggest Isah was arrested shortly after rejecting a N100 million bribe allegedly offered by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, to abandon his NANS presidential ambition in favor of a government-backed candidate. A DSS insider also claimed Isah was coerced into posing with a gun and writing a retraction letter as a condition for release neither of which secured his freedom.
His family, speaking through media channels, revealed that his wife was denied access to take him home, though his health has slightly improved. They issued a public plea for his release, appealing directly to the president and his son.
Public figures including Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Peter Obi have demanded justice, calling the detention unlawful and politically motivated. The DSS has yet to issue a formal statement, while civil society groups warn that the treatment of Isah reflects a dangerous crackdown on student leadership and democratic dissent.
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