A group known as “Friends of Seyi Tinubu (FOST) has reacted to the alleged abduction and brutalization of Abubakar Atiku Isah in Abuja on Tuesday by Seyi Tinubu.

The group said never at any point has Seyi Tinubu ordered thugs to abduct and brutalise one Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, who claims to be President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The group described allegations against Seyi Tinubu as reckless, saying it’s an attempt to tarnish the good reputation of the President’s son.

A statement by the President of the group, Com. Adejorin Tai Manuel, condemned the publication dated April 16, 2025, alleging Seyi Tinubu was behind the attack on Atiku.

The statement reads:

“Mr. Seyi Tinubu is a young, focused, and accomplished individual who has no time, business, or interest in the politics of NANS, let alone stooping so low as to orchestrate violence against someone who is clearly unknown to him.

“The claim that Seyi Tinubu even recognises or acknowledges Comrade Atiku as a threat or enemy is laughable and clearly fabricated. Seyi Tinubu is not a member of NANS, not a patron, nor is he involved in any student political process. He remains committed to his personal and national development engagements, which are far beyond the narrow scope of campus politics.

“It is important to clarify that Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah does not represent Nigerian students. His claims of being elected at the so-called “125th NANS Convention” are factually incorrect and devoid of logic. NANS, which was founded in 1980, has not held up to 125 conventions in its history. Atiku did not attend the last constitutionally recognized NANS convention, nor did he participate in any legitimate electoral process.

“There is no record of any election conducted that produced him. He has no known executive council, no vice president, no secretary-general, no financial secretary, or any EXCO member to support his claims. He merely woke up, declared himself president, and began parading the title across media platforms without mandate or legitimacy.
“One wonders who Atiku represents, where his mandate originated from, and how the medium failed to ask the most basic questions about his legitimacy before giving him a platform to spread lies.

“The so-called “election” that produced him remains invisible, with no evidence of senator participation or institutional backing. He has been rejected by the mainstream NANS community, and the public deserves to know that the association operates with structure and order not propaganda.

“Dragging the name of Seyi Tinubu into this charade is a calculated smear campaign designed to attract public sympathy and give credibility to a failed quest for recognition.
“But Nigerians are wiser than that. Seyi Tinubu has no business with impostors. His focus remains on uplifting youth, driving entrepreneurship, and contributing meaningfully to the nation’s development—not getting entangled in student leadership dramas. It is therefore absurd and insulting that a man of his pedigree would be linked to such crude behavior.”

The Apapa Magistrate Court, Court 9 sitting at Orege, Ajegunle – Sikiru Adagun Courthouse, has discharged and acquitted Alabi Quadri, the young Nigerian who became a national symbol of courage during the 2023 general elections, for standing boldly in front of the convoy of then-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.

He was discharged and acquitted of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery.

The court held that he has no case to answer.

Quadri was brought to court on Thursday, April 17, 2025, after spending months in Kirikiri Prison, Lagos.

The Nigerian Correctional Service produced Quadri at the Apapa Magistrate Court, located at Orege, Ajegunle—Sikiru Adagun Courthouse (Court No. 9).

Quadri’s case was initially slated for a hearing on April 28, 2025.

However, human rights lawyer and activist Inibehe Effiong had revealed that both he and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) requested that the date be moved forward, and the court granted the application.

Quadri gained widespread attention after a viral video showed him, a teenage boy at the time, fearlessly standing before Peter Obi’s campaign convoy—a moment many Nigerians interpreted as a symbol of youthful defiance and hope during a tense election period.

The media reported that Effiong revealed that Alabi’s recent painful descent into the Nigerian prison system was not due to any major crime but rather a result of prolonged malice and resentment harboured by some self-acclaimed ‘area boys’ (thugs) in his neighbourhood.

According to the lawyer, these individuals felt entitled to a portion of the unexpected attention and goodwill, including financial support, that Alabi received following his moment in the spotlight during the 2023 presidential campaign.

Effiong, who recently visited the Apapa Magisterial Court in Lagos alongside Alabi’s mother and legal colleagues, stated that Alabi’s journey to Kirikiri prison was not only heartbreaking but appeared to be the outcome of a vendetta fuelled by local ‘area boys’ who felt entitled to the financial support Alabi received after his viral moment.

Effiong revealed that Alabi was abducted in January near his home while returning from work by the ‘area boys’ who had been threatening him.

They allegedly took him to Amukoko Police Station (popularly known as Pako Police Station) and accused him of being involved in street fights.

However, Alabi was then arraigned before a Magistrate Court along with four other individuals, said to be complete strangers to him, on allegations of conspiracy to commit armed robbery with cutlasses.

According to the charge sheet, the alleged victims were robbed of N579,000, comprising cash and four mobile phones.

Effiong also emphasised that despite being a minor, Alabi had been detained with adults at Kirikiri since January, pending legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).