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FCT, ABUJA, NIGERIA – A support group known as Friends of Seyi Tinubu (FOST) has firmly rejected accusations made by Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, the embattled President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Isah had accused Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of orchestrating his abduction, torture, and forced resignation after he allegedly refused a N100 million bribe. FOST labeled the claims as a “desperate smear campaign.”
In an official press release, FOST described Isah as a “self-acclaimed president” and emphasized that Seyi Tinubu had no political or criminal involvement in the matter.
“These allegations are baseless and politically motivated. They are designed to tarnish the image of a private citizen who has no role in student unionism”, the group stated.
It will be recalled that Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah had earlier accused Seyi Tinubu of masterminding his abduction, physical abuse, and resignation from NANS. According to him, this took place after he declined a N100 million bribe intended to coerce him into stepping down.
In a viral video confession shared on social media, Isah recounted how he was abducted on April 15, 2025, shortly after lodging a complaint at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja about threats to his life.
He claimed the act was politically driven and part of a larger conspiracy to forcibly remove him from leadership.
“They offered me N100 million to resign as NANS President. I rejected it because I was elected by students, not politicians. That’s when they came for me”, he declared in the video.
According to Isah, he was blindfolded, stripped naked, beaten, and taken to an undisclosed location, where he was compelled to record a scripted resignation speech.
“They forced me to read a resignation script and aired it on NTA to make it look legitimate. It was psychological and physical torture”, he said, visibly shaken in the footage.
Isah further alleged that Seyi Tinubu viewed him as a political threat, especially after the 125th NANS Convention in Abuja, where Seyi allegedly showed displeasure over Isah’s emergence as president.
“Seyi Tinubu is a bad influence on Nigerian youths. He has no respect for democratic processes or student voices. He’s using the state machinery to silence opposition”, Isah claimed.
Isah’s legal counsel, Barr. A.O. Ochogwu, has formally petitioned the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), urging a thorough investigation.
The petition names Seyi Tinubu, Olusola Ladoja (a rival student factional leader), and unnamed NTA officials as co-conspirators in the alleged events.
In a related development, students across various tertiary institutions have launched protests demanding justice.
Demonstrators called on the National Assembly to probe the alleged abuse of power and misuse of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for political manipulation.
A student leader from the University of Abuja stated: “If student leaders can be kidnapped, tortured, and coerced into resignation for refusing bribes, then our democracy is under attack. We demand justice for Comrade Isah.”
Observers at the scene expressed grave concern, warning that if the allegations are true, Nigeria’s democracy may be under severe threat.
“If the story is really true then our democracy is gone and replaced by family quest for power at all cost”, one observer lamented.
Despite the mounting public outrage, neither the Nigerian Police Force, the Presidency, nor the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has issued an official statement in response to the serious allegations.
The incident has only deepened existing fears about the politicization of student leadership and the increasing vulnerability of youth leaders in Nigeria’s democratic environment.
