Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call his family to order following serious allegations of assault, abduction, and bribery involving members of the first family. The call comes in the wake of claims by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Isah, who alleged he was abducted, brutalised, and coerced into relinquishing his position after rejecting a N100 million bribe allegedly offered to support the Tinubu administration.
At a press conference in Abuja, Isah alleged that the incident took place on April 15, shortly after a meeting in Lagos. He claimed that after turning down the offer, he was assaulted by unidentified men. “I was abducted on the 15th of April. I was stripped naked, beaten seriously in collaboration with the MD of NTA. The MD of NTA was our package to make an involuntary statement that I have renounced my position as NANS president. I did that to gain my freedom, but immediately, I released a press statement that I was forced under duress. Because I was naked, I was beaten. They claimed they would share the video,” Isah said.
Responding to the accusations via Instagram, Seyi Tinubu denied any involvement, stating: “Wow… how can someone lie with so much confidence? An attempt to defame my character. May God be with you, Comrade Atiku Isah.” He added, “I have never held a meeting to discuss any subject matter with Comrade Isah in Lagos or anywhere else in the world. I have never knowingly met him before, nor did I visit any location with thugs. All these allegations are completely fictional.”
Reacting through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku Abubakar condemned the alleged intimidation and coercion of the student leader, warning against the abuse of power and the misuse of state machinery to harass civil society. “It is intolerable that the first family would seek to subjugate NANS or any civil society group through threats, bribes, or brute force. The presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance,” Ibe said.
He emphasised the gravity of the claims and urged the authorities to launch an independent investigation into the matter. “The serious allegations made by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Isah — alleging physical assault, abduction, and inducement — are deeply alarming and strike at the core of democratic norms and civil liberty,” he stated.
Paul Ibe also refuted attempts to link Atiku Abubakar politically to the NANS president. “Attempts to drag former Vice President Atiku Abubakar into this scandal by alleging a political alliance with Comrade Isah are baseless, malicious, and desperate. Atiku Abubakar’s meeting with Isah was centered solely on education reform and improving student welfare, which also includes institutions he founded, like the American University of Nigeria and AUN Academy,” he clarified.
He further warned against any harm to the student leader, asserting that “well-meaning Nigerians must rise to speak out. The actions of the President’s family — specifically their rabid drive to consolidate political power through manipulation and fear — must be condemned unequivocally. We must remind them that the presidency is a public trust, not a private inheritance.”
“We issue a clear warning: nothing must happen to this young man. Any harm to him will not go unnoticed or unchallenged. Nigerians deserve truth, accountability, and a leadership that respects the rule of law — not a regime that weaponises power to silence dissent,” Ibe concluded.
