After close to two months in detention, the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday released Atiku Abubakar Isah, the embattled factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
His release comes after mounting public criticism and intensifying legal pressure on the security agency.
According to Sahara Reporters, DSS operatives handed Isah over to his family and legal team in Abuja after prolonged delays in implementing a court-ordered bail, despite the defence team having met all conditions.
Sources revealed that earlier in the day, there were fresh reports suggesting the DSS was still refusing to comply with the court’s release order, even after Isah’s legal representatives completed additional paperwork on Wednesday. However, following media scrutiny and growing public outcry, DSS officials contacted his family and lawyer, instructing them to come to the Abuja facility to secure his release.
Isah had appeared in court on Tuesday wearing black clothes and reportedly bearing injuries he said were inflicted by members of a rival NANS faction. He was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Abuja, where the court granted him bail in the sum of ₦5 million, with one surety required to guarantee the same amount.
Marshal Abubakar of Falana & Falana Chambers, who is representing Isah, confirmed that the DSS charged his client with inciting public disturbance and impersonating a public officer.
“They claim he incited students to disrupt the peace and interrupted a meeting held by a rival NANS faction. They also accuse him of falsely presenting himself as the NANS President,” Abubakar explained.
The case has attracted significant public and media interest, particularly in light of Isah’s explosive allegations against high-profile figures. He has accused Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, of offering him a ₦100 million bribe to relinquish his claim to the NANS presidency. According to Isah, when he refused the offer, he was abducted, stripped naked, and physically assaulted in the presence of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
He further alleged that the assault was coordinated by a rival NANS faction led by Olusola Ladoja, which he claims has the backing of Seyi Tinubu.
On May 14, 2025, Isah filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding ₦38.3 billion in damages. He is suing the DSS, NTA, and Seyi Tinubu for alleged kidnapping, unlawful detention, physical assault, and defamation of character.
Observers say the case highlights growing concerns about students’ union politics, state security overreach, and the influence of political power brokers in campus affairs. With his release, attention will now turn to both the criminal proceedings and his civil suit, which is expected to test the resilience of Nigeria’s judicial system in the face of allegations involving highly connected individuals.
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