The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, has filed a ₦38.3 billion lawsuit against the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu.
The case, filed on May 14 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accuses them of violating his human rights through abduction, illegal detention, assault, and defamation.
Claims of Abuse
Isah says he was attacked by a rival student group allegedly supported by Seyi Tinubu, leaving him seriously injured.
After the attack, he claims DSS agents detained him without charges for more than two weeks. He is asking the court to declare this a violation of his rights under Nigerian and international law.
His legal team is seeking ₦32.87 billion in general damages, ₦5.5 billion in exemplary damages, and 20% interest.
He’s also asking the court to stop further threats or detention and to order his immediate release.
The dispute appears tied to leadership struggles within NANS. Reports say Isah was attacked during his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja.
His family claims the DSS took him while he was still recovering and have kept him incommunicado.
“We haven’t seen or heard from him since,” a relative said. “His wife and young daughter are heartbroken.”
They also questioned why the DSS has not arrested the attackers.
Media Defamation
The lawsuit also accuses NTA of airing false stories that damaged Isah’s image and made his detention seem justified. His lawyers say this added to his emotional trauma.
The court is expected to schedule a hearing soon. Legal experts say the case could set a major example in how student activists are treated in Nigeria.
As of now, neither the DSS, NTA, nor Seyi Tinubu have commented on the case.
