The Department of State Services (DSS) has continued to hold Atiku Abubakar Isah, a factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), more than a week after he was allegedly assaulted during a leadership inauguration event in Abuja.
The incident occurred last Tuesday during a contentious inauguration ceremony attended by high-profile guests, including former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Idris Wada, who were also reportedly harassed amid the disruption.
Sources close to the matter allege that the incident involved members of a rival NANS faction led by Olusola Ladoja and was backed by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The altercation resulted in Atiku’s detention by DSS officers, who subsequently transferred him to a clinic along Airport Road.
Despite recovering from injuries sustained during the incident, Isah remains in custody. Sources claim that the DSS is pressuring him to issue statements under duress and that he has been denied access to his family.
“There are ongoing attempts to coerce him into making false confessions,” one source said, adding that Isah had allegedly been forced to pose with a firearm for a photograph intended to discredit him.
Isah had earlier accused Seyi Tinubu’s faction of offering him a ₦100 million bribe to support the government’s agenda, an allegation that gained public attention. He also claimed to have been assaulted by Ladoja during the inauguration.
SaharaReporters obtained a copy of a retraction letter purportedly signed by Isah under pressure. In the letter, Isah disavowed earlier statements implicating Seyi Tinubu and the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ayodele Olawande. He apologized to the individuals named, citing misinformation and manipulation by political actors.
No arrests have been made in connection with the physical attack, prompting concerns among supporters and human rights advocates over the handling of the incident.
As of now, the DSS has not issued an official statement regarding the continued detention or the circumstances surrounding Isah’s alleged retraction.
Saharareporters
