The family of detained factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Atiku Abubakar Isah, has issued a passionate plea to the Department of State Services (DSS), President Bola Tinubu’s son Seyi Tinubu, and the Nigerian public over what they describe as the unlawful, politically-motivated detention of their son.
Speaking exclusively to SaharaReporters on Friday, the aggrieved family accused the DSS of holding Atiku incommunicado, with neither legal representation nor family access permitted since his violent abduction during a leadership event in Abuja more than a week ago.
According to the family, the embattled student leader was brutally assaulted with machetes by thugs allegedly loyal to a rival NANS faction backed by Seyi Tinubu, leaving him severely injured and clinging to life.
“Our son has been abducted, stripped naked, and beaten to a pulp by known individuals who now parade freely on social media, mocking the system and boasting that nothing will happen to them because Tinubu is President,” a distraught family member said. “The evidence is overwhelming—photographs of his injuries are everywhere. But the real horror is that we don’t know where he is, how he is, or if he is even receiving medical care.”
Insiders familiar with the case confirmed to SaharaReporters that Atiku is enduring psychological and emotional trauma in DSS custody, with credible reports suggesting he is being pressured to sign false confessions under duress.
“This is not detention; this is persecution,” one source said. “He is being punished for surviving an attack orchestrated by political loyalists. The DSS is acting like a tool in the hands of power-hungry puppeteers, and all fingers point to Seyi Tinubu.”
The family decried the glaring double standard in the handling of the case, noting that while Atiku languishes in a DSS facility, his attackers—who have openly bragged about their actions—walk free and continue to post taunting messages on social media.
“Is this the Nigeria we want to build—where victims are jailed and criminals are celebrated?” another relative asked. “The DSS has become a shield for political thuggery. They’re not just detaining our son; they’re detaining justice.”
Despite the harrowing ordeal, the family expressed gratitude to notable Nigerians who have lent their voices in support of Atiku, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
“We thank all well-meaning Nigerians who have spoken out. But now, we cry to the highest authorities: President Tinubu, your son is implicated. Please, for the sake of truth and justice, intervene. Would you sit idly if your own child was brutalised and detained like this?”
They ended their statement with an emotional appeal: “Atiku has committed no crime. He is a student leader, not a threat to national security. We believe in justice, and we believe that all power is temporary. One day, everyone—no matter how powerful—will stand before God. Release our son now.”
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Atiku was violently attacked last Tuesday during the inauguration of a new NANS leadership in Abuja, an event attended by political heavyweights such as former Kano State Governor Senator Ibrahim Shekarau and ex-Kogi Governor Idris Wada, who were also reportedly caught in the chaos.
Sources allege that the attack was masterminded by a faction led by Olusola Ladoja and allegedly supported by Seyi Tinubu. Following the assault, Atiku was arrested by DSS operatives and taken to a clinic on Airport Road in Abuja.
“Despite recovering from the vicious beating, he remains in custody as though he’s the criminal,” one source said. “They refuse to let him go, and worse, they’re forcing him to sign statements under threats.”
As public pressure mounts, no arrests have been made in connection to the attack. Observers warn that the DSS’s actions risk reinforcing a culture of impunity and eroding public trust in Nigeria’s democratic and security institutions.
“Every day he stays in custody is an indictment on justice and human dignity,” said a rights advocate following the case. “This is a test for Nigeria’s democracy—and so far, we are failing it.”
PIONEER NEWS 