The NANS president requests the court to issue an order enforcing his rights, citing alleged violations by the named respondents.
Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to enforce his fundamental human rights.
The case, filed on May 14, 2025, and marked Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2025, lists the Director of the Directorate of State Security (DSS), the Director of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and Mr. Seyi Tinubu as the first and third respondents, respectively.
According to court documents, the application, filed by his legal counsel Ugwueze I. Oduegbu and R.O. Ifebhor of Ajunwa & Co., was brought pursuant to the provisions of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended in 2011), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, 2004.
The NANS President requests the court to issue an order enforcing his rights, citing alleged violations by the named respondents.
He alleged that his continued detention, media defamation, and alleged abuse by state actors were orchestrated to silence his voice and activism.
In the suit, Comrade Isah is demanding a total of Thirty-Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy Million Naira (N32,870,000,000) as general damages for the alleged violation of his constitutional rights.
Among the reliefs sought, the applicant is asking the court to declare that “the Respondents’ blatant, kidnapping, adoption and unlawful detention of the Applicant for over 15 days and continuous detention without charging him to any court of competent jurisdiction amounts to total breach of the Applicant’s fundamental human rights to freedom of movement provided for in Chapter iv of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in 2011”.
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He is also seeking a declaration that his alleged brutal beating and stabbing with a knife, leading to severe blood loss, physical pain, and trauma, amount to inhuman and degrading treatment, in violation of Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution and Articles 5 and 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He is also seeking: “A declaration that the illegal physical threats to life and stabbing of the Applicant with knife by the Respondents so as not to seek for and to abdicate his position as the President of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) amounts to the breach of the fundamental human rights to life of the Applicant and aggravation of the emotional torture arising from the said breach as provided for in Chapter iv of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in 2011.
“An Order of the Honourable Court for the immediate and unconditional release of the Applicant from the detention of the 1st Respondent.
“An injunction against the Respondents restraining them from further kidnapping, beating, detention and physical threats to the life of the Applicant.
“An order of this Honourable Court against the 3rd Respondent to pay the sum of thirty-two billion, eight hundred and seventy million, (N32,870,000,000.00) naira only as General Damages for the breach of the fundamental human rights of the Applicant as stated in paragraphs 1 to 3 above.
“An order of this Honourable Court against the Respondents to pay the sum of five billion, five hundred million (N5,500,000,000.00) naira only to the Applicant as Exemplary damages overall breach of the fundamental human rights of the Applicant as stated in paragraphs 1 to 3 above and twenty percent (20%) compounded interest on the judgment sum till same is totally paid and or the said judgment sum be paid into an interest yielding account of the Honourable Court as a condition of appeal on same.
“However, the grounds upon which the application is brought include the respondents’ blatant kidnapping, abduction, and indefinite detention of the applicant without any intention of release.
“Unprecedented abuse and merciless torture of the Applicant by the Respondents, Inhuman and degrading treatments on the Applicant by the Respondents and Physical threats to the life of the Applicant by the respondents.”
The court is expected to hear the matter on a date that will be scheduled soon.
Background
Isah has been embroiled in a leadership crisis within NANS, with a faction loyal to President Bola Tinubu’s administration and his son, Seyi, assaulting Isah during his inauguration at The Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja.
Isah’s family had also raised alarm over his unknown whereabouts since he was reportedly taken away by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters on Friday, a family member expressed deep concern over Isah’s whereabouts, alleging that the DSS whisked him away from its clinic where he was receiving treatment for life-threatening injuries sustained during a violent attack linked to a rival NANS faction.
“Since they took him, we have not seen or heard from him. Nobody knows where he is now; no contact. We are praying nothing bad has happened to him,” the family member said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
The family described the DSS’s actions as “bandit-like,” accusing the agency of shielding those responsible for the attack while detaining the victim.
“Why are the DSS operating like bandits? They whisked someone who was macheted and nearly killed by a NANS faction backed by Seyi Tinubu, yet they did not arrest the perpetrators. Instead, they abducted Isah, the victim of the attack,” the relative lamented.
The family also said they were growing increasingly worried about Isah’s deteriorating health condition, which requires urgent medical attention. According to the family, his wife and young daughter have been emotionally devastated by his disappearance.
“Right now, Isah’s wife does not know where her husband is. The daughter cries every day, asking about her dad. Why does the DSS prefer protecting criminals and torturing victims?” the relative asked in frustration.