The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, has claimed he was abducted in Abuja by armed men acting under the orders of Seyi Tinubu and Ladoja Olusola.
In a press release issued on Wednesday to the media, Atiku recounted being brutally beaten, stripped, and humiliated by his captors, whom he described as political thugs.
He said his abductors later took him to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), where, under duress and with the alleged involvement of the network’s leadership, he was forced to make a public statement.
According to Atiku, his ordeal stems from political rivalry. Since winning a landslide election at the NANS 125th convention, he claims to have been targeted by Seyi Tinubu and his allies, who view his leadership as a threat.
He further revealed that he had alerted authorities multiple times through petitions, but his warnings were ignored.
“I was tortured and forced into giving a statement that I did not consent to,” Atiku said. “All of this happened with the support of those in power who see my leadership as a challenge.”
Despite what he described as a dehumanising experience, Atiku expressed gratitude to students, journalists, and civil society actors who stood by him and demanded his immediate release.
“I was abducted in Abuja by gun-wielding thugs on the instructions of Seyi Tinubu and Ladoja Olusola. I was beaten, subjected to the most cruel and dehumanising treatments, my clothes torn to shreds and stripped naked.
“I was thereafter hurriedly packaged and, in conniving with the Managing Director of NTA, brought to the station where I was forced to release an involuntary statement,” he said.
It added, “Since my overwhelming election as the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), at the 125th convention of the association, Seyi Tinubu has in cohorts with Ladoja, and for whatever reasons best known to him, declared me an enemy, and my life has constantly been under threats.
“I have written several petitions to the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security agencies on this matter”, the released statement noted.
He affirmed that he would not be cowed by intimidation, declaring his intention to continue leading NANS with courage and a strong sense of duty.
“No amount of harassment will make us abandon our mandate. We will continue to fight for the rights and welfare of Nigerian students,” he said.