The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Atiku Abubakar Isah, has taken legal action against Seyi Tinubu, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), accusing them of violating his rights.
The lawsuit, filed on May 14, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeks over ₦38 billion in compensation and challenges the treatment he allegedly received in the hands of security operatives.
Isah is asking the court to rule that his reported arrest, detention, and alleged abuse by the DSS without formal charges go against his rights as protected by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He claims to have been held incommunicado for more than two weeks, subjected to torture, and denied medical attention.
His legal team insisted that these acts are unlawful and demand his immediate release.
In the suit, the DSS Director-General, the NTA Director, and Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, are listed as respondents.
Isah’s lawyers argued that he was stabbed and beaten after a violent clash during his inauguration as NANS president at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja.
The clash reportedly involved a rival group within the student body that allegedly received support from powerful individuals, including Seyi Tinubu.
After the incident, Isah was taken to a DSS clinic for treatment but was later removed from there by DSS operatives.
His family claimed that they have not heard from him since, raising fears about his health and safety.
According to them, his wife and child are in deep distress over his sudden disappearance.
They said there is a deliberate attempt to keep the public in the dark and shield those responsible for the earlier attack.
The student leader is requesting ₦32.87 billion as general damages, ₦5.5 billion as exemplary damages, and an additional 20% interest until the sum is fully paid or deposited in a court-approved interest account.
He also wants the court to stop further threats, detention, or mistreatment by the respondents.
The case has been registered under Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2025. The court is yet to announce a hearing date.
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