The family of Atiku Abubakar Isah, the detained factional President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has raised alarm over his continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS), alleging that he is being held incommunicado and denied access to both legal counsel and family members.
Speaking exclusively to SaharaReporters on Friday, distressed relatives accused the DSS of acting under the influence of Seyi Tinubu, son of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
They also expressed outrage over the agency’s refusal to arrest or investigate individuals who have openly admitted to attacking the student leader 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 said.
“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.”
According to a source familiar with the situation, Atiku is undergoing psychological and emotional torture while in custody.
“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 remains in secret detention, his assailants are 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 SaharaReporters.
“Is this justice? Is the DSS now a tool for suppressing victims and shielding political thugs?”
The family expressed gratitude to Nigerians—especially former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi—for speaking out and demanding justice for the detained 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.”
SaharaReporters previously reported that the Department of State Services (DSS) has held Atiku Isah, a factional leader of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in detention for over a week following a violent incident at a student leadership event in Abuja.
Atiku was reportedly assaulted last Tuesday during the official inauguration of the new NANS leadership—an event attended by notable political figures, including former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, and former Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, both of whom were also allegedly harassed during the chaos.
The attack, according to reports, was carried out by members of a rival NANS faction led by Olusola Ladoja and allegedly backed by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Following the assault, Atiku was detained by the DSS and taken to their clinic on Airport Road in Abuja. Despite recovering from his injuries, he remains in custody.
“Even after being brutally beaten by Ladoja and Seyi’s loyalists, the DSS is still treating him like a criminal,” a source told SaharaReporters. “He has regained his strength, yet they refuse to let him return home and rest.”
Another source close to the situation claimed that the DSS has been pressuring Atiku to make coerced statements. “They want him to write things that are untrue. Since last week, he has been denied contact with his family, who are extremely worried about his condition,” the source said.
Meanwhile, no arrests have been made in connection to the attack, a development that has deepened concerns over impunity and selective justice.
“We thought they would release him by Wednesday, but they kept him. Meanwhile, the people who attacked him are walking free,” the source added.
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