Details have emerged on how operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) rescued a factional president of the Nationa Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Hon. Abubakar Isa Atiku, following a violent confrontation during a parallel inauguration ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to a security source, the chaos erupted when a rival faction of NANS, led by Hon. Olusola Ladoja, stormed the Wells Carlton Hotel—venue of the event—disrupting the proceedings and triggering a free-for-all brawl between members of both factions.
Distinguished guests, including former governors Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State and Capt. Idris Wada of Kogi State, were forced to flee the scene along with several students as the violence escalated. One individual, identified as Mustapha (also known as Musty), reportedly sustained a deep cut on his right arm.
The source revealed that Ladoja’s faction overpowered Abubakar’s group and forcibly whisked him away from the venue. DSS operatives, who had been monitoring the situation, swiftly intervened, tracked down the abductors, and rescued Abubakar. He was found with multiple machete wounds and was immediately taken to a secure medical facility for treatment.
Recovered from the scene were a pistol and a machete, with security agents now investigating the ownership and intended use of the weapons.
The clash is the latest in the ongoing leadership crisis within NANS. Both Ladoja and Abubakar have been laying claim to the presidency of the student body following parallel conventions held in Abuja on February 27, 2025.