EXCLUSIVE: Seyi Tinubu, DSS, Govt-Backed NANS Faction Plot Attack On Sowore —Sources

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), with backing from Seyi Tinubu — son of President Bola Tinubu — and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), is plotting an attack on human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, SaharaReporters has learned.

Covert Meetings and Plans for Political Violence

According to sources familiar with the matter, covert meetings have been held between Seyi Tinubu and some NANS leaders to coordinate an attack on Sowore, with the reported involvement of DSS operatives.

The plan allegedly involves mobilising political thugs in retaliation for SaharaReporters’ consistent exposure of political misconduct.

Sowore, a prominent activist, is also the publisher of SaharaReporters.

“Seyi Tinubu and NANS leaders have been having conversations to set up their goons, in collusion with the DSS, to attack Sowore,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters.

Public Threats by Pro-Tinubu NANS Faction

Tensions escalated further on Wednesday when Akinteye Babtee Babatunde, Senate President of the NANS faction reportedly loyal to Seyi Tinubu, issued a public threat against Sowore via Facebook.

In the post, Akinteye accused Sowore of attempting to destabilise Nigeria and called for "bold actions" against him.

“The only mission Omoyele Sowore has is to set Nigeria on fire,” Akinteye wrote. “He must do this always so he can keep accessing his international funding. NANS leadership needs to take bold actions on his shenanigans. NANS is not a playing ground 100%.”

Several other NANS members commented under Akinteye’s post, openly threatening Sowore.

For instance, Suleiman Mahmud T. wrote, “It’s time we see him as an enemy of the organisation. Let’s give all it takes to make him pay for his actions.”

“Good observation. But I think a vote of warning should be forwarded to him by NANS officials before it gets out of hand. No one is too small for NANS to discipline,” Akande Gbenga Gabriel stated.

Odunjo Adio added that he “honestly” wished Sowore’s excesses could “be checked immediately”.

“He too dey do rubbish,” he added.

Owolewa Taiwo said, “We need to engage the guy in the coming days.”

According to Amtai Ali Saidu, “The we going a fight with him (sic)”.

The threats come in the wake of SaharaReporters’ investigations into the assault on factional NANS President Atiku Isah, who recently alleged that Seyi Tinubu offered him a N100 million bribe to abandon his ambition in favour of government-backed candidate Ladoja Olusola.

Isah also accused members of the Seyi Tinubu-backed NANS faction of orchestrating the attack on him, naming Ladoja Olusola — the rival factional president — as the individual who allegedly kicked him in the face during the assault.

SaharaReporters learned that Isah was arrested shortly after a disrupted inauguration ceremony in which he was declared NANS president — a process reportedly marred by violence from government-sponsored thugs.

Following his arrest, sources told SaharaReporters that Isah was pressured into writing a statement retracting his allegations against Seyi Tinubu.

Insiders further revealed that Isah was being held at the DSS hospital under the guise of medical treatment, but is instead being blackmailed and coerced into silence.

One DSS officer, speaking anonymously, told SaharaReporters that Isah was forced to pose for a photograph with a gun placed in his hand — a tactic allegedly intended for future blackmail.

Meanwhile, during a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Olusola — the Seyi Tinubu-backed NANS president — publicly criticised SaharaReporters for not producing favourable reports about the Tinubu administration.

Ladoja said, “I read one stupid allegation on SaharaReporters,” Olusola said during the live interview. “I don’t know if they have personal issues with President Tinubu, but the way they keep publishing negative reports about me is alarming.”

Olusola devoted much of the interview to criticising SaharaReporters’ coverage.

In a recent statement, Olusola claimed the “pattern of reportage by Sahara Reporters, spearheaded by Mr. Omoyele Sowore, reveals a deep-seated vendetta against the leadership of NANS — one seemingly motivated by our principled departure from needless street agitations and pseudo-radicalism in favour of intellectual dialogue, institutional engagement, and solution-driven advocacy”.

Meanwhile, Olusola is not the first pro-Tinubu NANS president to threaten violence against Sowore.

Similarly, in June 2021, SaharaReporters reported how the then-factional NANS President, Sunday Asefon, started mobilising thugs to attack Sowore.

The planned attack on Sowore and other activists came a few days after Asefon and his executive members collected N70 million from the Nigerian government and then-Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello.

In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the NANS leaders were also seen threatening the human rights activists.

“They are actually planning to attack Omoyele Sowore in Abuja as we speak. They got over N40 million from the Nigerian government through the management of Petroleum Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“They also received over N30 million from the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, and Governor Yahaya Bello.

“The police and DSS (Department of State Services) are both aware of the plan; they directed the NANS leaders to work with Kogi deputy governor, Edward Onoja to perform a hit on Sowore in Abuja.

“They have started strategising on how to attack Sowore, they are currently lodged in a hotel in Abuja. The initial plan was a fake protest for June 12, hoping the team led by Sowore would accidentally join the protest. With this, they would turn the protest to a violent one and attack Sowore and others but they cancelled the plan after your (SaharaReporters') story,” a source told SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters had previously exposed how Asefon, in a meeting with then-Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, promised to mobilise against those planning to protest on June 12, 2021, using his power as NANS President.

“He met with the Inspector of General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba three days ago but the IGP refused to take pictures with him, telling him there was a crisis in NANS and he was not sure Asefon was in control.

“Asefon then told him he is the original President with the structure of the students’ body.

“He then asked the IGP for assistance and the condition given to him was to mobilise against the people planning protests on June 12 if truly he is the original NANS President.

“He immediately promised the IGP to consider it done. He said they would initially join the rally and later disrupt it,” a source had told SaharaReporters.

The newspaper also revealed how the Nigerian government ordered the management of PPMC to pay Asefon N40 million to mobilise thugs in major cities across the country with police cover and unleash terror on genuine protesters on June 12.