ABUJA: Atiku Abubakar Isah, the embattled President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has launched a hunger strike while in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), protesting his prolonged detention and alleged physical abuse.
Sources within the DSS revealed that Isah stopped accepting food and medication on Sunday, stating he wants only to be released.
He told DSS officers he’s no longer taking any drugs or food. All he wants is to go home, a DSS insider told Reporters.
Isah was reportedly abducted in broad daylight by suspected thugs linked to Ladoja Olusola, a factional NANS president allegedly backed by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu.
His arrest followed claims that he rejected a N100 million bribe allegedly offered by Seyi Tinubu to withdraw from the NANS presidential race.
His detention has drawn criticism, especially following accusations that he was assaulted and forced to recant allegations involving a N71 billion student loan fund scandal. An anonymous source close to Isah claimed he was beaten during his time in custody and now fears for his life, suspecting an attempt might be made to poison him before release.
Isah’s arrest on April 29 came shortly after a chaotic NANS inauguration ceremony in Abuja, where he was allegedly attacked by government-backed thugs. He was later taken to a DSS facility on Airport Road, where he remains in detention without formal charges.
Family members and supporters have called for his immediate release, warning of a dangerous precedent for student activism and free speech in Nigeria.
