Sahara Reporters has taken to it’s official X handle and announced that The Department of State Services (DSS) has continued to detain the factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Atiku Abubakar Isah, more than a week after he was brutally assaulted during a chaotic leadership inauguration in Abuja — a crisis allegedly orchestrated by a faction loyal to Seyi Tinubu, son of Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The incident occurred last Tuesday at the official inauguration of a new NANS leadership, an event that descended into violence despite the attendance of high-profile political figures including former governors Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State and Idris Wada of Kogi State, both of whom were reportedly harassed in the melee.
Multiple eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that Atiku was physically attacked by thugs loyal to a rival NANS faction led by Olusola Ladoja — a group allegedly enjoying the patronage of Seyi Tinubu. Despite being the victim of a public beating, Atiku was detained by the DSS and reportedly transported to their medical facility on Airport Road, Abuja, where he has remained in custody ever since.
“Despite the beating meted out to him by Ladoja and Seyi’s boys, DSS still holds him in custody as if he is the criminal,” a source close to the embattled student leader told SaharaReporters. “He has recovered but is still not allowed to go home or contact his loved ones.”
Adding to the growing unease, sources familiar with the situation revealed that the DSS has been coercing Atiku to make incriminating statements under duress.
“They are pressuring him to recant his allegations and sign a false statement. He has not been released or allowed access to his family, who are now terrified for his safety,” one source said.
While Atiku languishes in custody, no action has been taken against those accused of orchestrating the violence, leaving many to question the impartiality of the security agencies involved.
“We hoped he’d be released by Wednesday,” another source lamented, “but instead, the attackers are walking free, while the victim remains behind bars.”
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Atiku accused Seyi Tinubu and the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ayodele Olawande, of offering him a staggering N100 million bribe to abandon his presidential bid for NANS and support the government’s youth agenda — an offer he claims to have rejected.
Following the rejection, Atiku said he was abducted, stripped, and beaten in front of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) during a botched attempt to force him to step down.
He further alleged that he was threatened with death, stating that “Seyi Tinubu could order my killing and instruct the IGP to bury the matter.”
However, in a stunning twist, DSS operatives allegedly forced Atiku to pose for a photo with a firearm and compelled him to write a retraction letter — now circulating online — in which he withdrew all his accusations and issued a sweeping apology to the Tinubu family and the federal government.
In the letter, purportedly signed under duress, Atiku stated:
> “I was misled by political opportunists to destroy the character of Seyi Tinubu and his father… I have since discovered, to my utmost pain and regret, that some persons were out to use me for cheap political gains.”
He further wrote:
> “At no time did I see Seyi Tinubu in Lagos or at The Wells Carlton Hotel, Abuja. I hereby apologize to President Bola Tinubu, his son, the Minister of Youths and Sports, and all others I may have offended. I failed my fellow comrades and those who looked up to me.”
The controversy has ignited outrage within student circles and civil society, with many demanding the immediate release of Atiku Isah and an independent investigation into the assault, the alleged bribe attempt, and the DSS’s involvement in coercing a retraction under questionable conditions.
Human rights observers have also condemned the continued detention, describing it as an abuse of state power and a chilling signal to youth leaders who dare to challenge the status quo.
As the nation watches this drama unfold, questions remain: Is this the silencing of a whistleblower or the unmasking of a political pawn? Either way, the continued detention of Atiku Abubakar Isah raises serious concerns about justice, transparency, and the misuse of security apparatus for political ends.
PIONEER NEWS 