By Akinwale Kasali
The Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Wisdom, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Asefon Dayo, and two former NANS leaders — Akinteye Babatunde (popularly known as Babtee) and Lucky Emonefe have been accused of, allegedly, misappropriating Federal Government Intervention Funds meant for Nigerian students.
This has prompted a
group of concerned stakeholders within Nigeria’s student movement to write an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, alleging large-scale corruption, diversion of public assets and criminal infiltration within the leadership structures of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS.
The petitioners alleged that about 50 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, Buses donated by the Federal Government to ease transportation challenges on Tertiary Campuses were diverted, shared among individuals, and in some cases, sold.
The Petition written by the Concerned Stakeholders further alleged that the Buses were allegedly retained for Private Commercial arrangements or disposed of outright, rather than deployed to campuses as intended.
It added that the purpose of acquiring the Buses has been defeated.
The group further claimed that only a handful of the vehicles are traceable within student communities, while others are unaccounted for.
The President has been urged by the Stakeholders to order an immediate probe and audit to determine the total number and current location of the buses and to retrieve any found to have been wrongfully diverted.
Beyond the buses, the petitioners accused the same officials and former student leaders of diverting funds raised for NANS conventions and allegedly selling government-facilitated employment opportunities meant for former student leaders.
The group alleged that monies sourced in the name of organising student conventions were mismanaged, leaving delegates stranded without accommodation and logistics support despite substantial funds reportedly being mobilised.
It further claimed that employment slots facilitated through government channels were either sold for millions of naira or allocated to associates with no background in student activism, thereby creating resentment within the student body.
The Petition also raised concerns over the alleged sale of food palliatives meant for indigent students during festive and fasting periods.
It further accused one of the aspirants for the 2026 NANS presidency, Akinteye Babatunde, of alleged involvement in an international cyber fraud network, commonly referred to in local parlance as “yahoo yahoo.”
As regards the use of NANS branded number plates on luxury vehicles, the Petition states that it is a way to evade scrutiny from security agencies.
The group warned that invoking the name of the President and his son, Seyi Tinubu, in internal NANS politics could damage the Presidency’s image if not addressed.
They alleged that some actors within the student movement frequently claim endorsement from the Presidency to influence convention outcomes and suppress opposition candidates.
The petitioners urged President Tinubu to direct anti-corruption and security agencies to: Conduct a full audit of all CNG buses donated to NANS; Investigate the allocation of government employment opportunities linked to student leaders; Probe allegations of diversion of convention funds; Examine claims of cybercrime involvement among aspirants to NANS leadership; and Ensure that individuals with alleged criminal antecedents are not endorsed or shielded by state actors.
It also urged President Tinubu to distance his administration from any individual accused of exploiting government goodwill for personal gain.
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