Abuja, Nigeria – May 1, 2025 — In a shocking revelation that has intensified the crisis within the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the embattled President of the association, Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah
, has accused Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of being a negative influence on Nigerian youths. He also alleged that Tinubu was directly involved in his recent abduction, torture, and forced resignation after rejecting a N100 million bribe.
Watch Video Here: Seyi Tinubu is a Bad influence to Nigerian youths
In a viral video confession, Atiku Isah described how he was kidnapped shortly after submitting a formal complaint to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja about threats to his life and attempts to delegitimize his leadership. According to him, the abduction occurred on April 15, 2025, and was orchestrated by political actors determined to remove him from office by any means necessary.
“They offered me N100 million to step down as NANS President. I rejected it because I was elected by students, not politicians. That’s when they came for me,” he said in the video.
Isah narrated that he was blindfolded, stripped of his clothes, physically assaulted, and taken to an undisclosed location where he was coerced into recording a resignation speech. The video, he claimed, was later aired by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) under what he described as a politically motivated smear campaign.
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“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 recounted.
The student leader accused Seyi Tinubu of masterminding the operation, claiming that Tinubu viewed his election as a personal threat. He stated that Tinubu had declared opposition against him during and after the 125th NANS convention in Abuja.
“Seyi Tinubu is a bad influence on Nigerian youths. He has no respect for democratic processes or the voice of the students. He’s using the machinery of the state to silence anyone who stands in his way,” Isah alleged.
Following the incident, Isah’s legal representative, Barrister A.O. Ochogwu, filed a petition to the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services, demanding a comprehensive investigation into the matter. The petition named Seyi Tinubu, Olusola Ladoja (a rival factional leader), and NTA officials as parties complicit in the abduction and assault.
In reaction to the serious allegations, a support group known as Friends of Seyi Tinubu (FOST) issued a strong denial, dismissing the claims as false and politically motivated. They described Atiku Isah as a “self-acclaimed president” and asserted that Seyi Tinubu had no involvement in student politics or any form of criminal conduct.
“These allegations are nothing more than a desperate smear campaign by someone seeking sympathy and political relevance,” the group said in a press release.
Meanwhile, outrage has erupted across several tertiary institutions in the country. Student bodies have staged protests demanding the immediate prosecution of all those involved and urging the National Assembly to investigate the alleged abuse of state media for political intimidation.
One student leader from the University of Abuja told TJ News Nigeria: “If student leaders can be kidnapped, tortured, and stripped for refusing bribes, then our democracy is under siege. We demand justice for Comrade Isah.”
Despite public pressure, neither the Nigerian Police Force nor the Presidency has released an official statement as of the time of this report. The Nigerian Television Authority has also declined to comment on the allegations of airing a coerced resignation video.
The incident has deepened the leadership crisis within NANS and raised critical questions about the influence of political elites on student unionism in Nigeria. It also highlights growing concerns over the safety and independence of youth leaders in the country.
