Stakeholders Petitions Tinubu Over Alleged Diversion Of 50 FG-Donated CNG Buses, Accuses Minister, Aide, Ex-NANS Leaders Of Criminal Infiltration
A group of concerned stakeholders within Nigeria’s student movement has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging large-scale corruption, diversion of public assets and criminal infiltration within the leadership structures of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
In a letter obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday the group accused the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande Wisdom, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Asefon Sunday Dayo, and two former NANS leaders — Akinteye Babatunde (popularly known as Babtee) and Lucky Emonefe — of misappropriating federal government interventions meant for Nigerian students.
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.
According to the letter, the buses were allegedly retained for private commercial arrangements or disposed of outright, rather than deployed to campuses as intended. The group claimed that only a handful of the vehicles are traceable within student communities, while others are unaccounted for.
They called on the President to order an immediate 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 petition 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 letter also raised concerns over the alleged sale of food palliatives meant for indigent students during festive and fasting periods.
In a more explosive claim, the petitioners 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 Nigeria as “yahoo yahoo.”
They alleged that individuals linked to the aspirant use NANS-branded number plates on luxury vehicles 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.
They argued that the student movement, once known for its radical activism during the military era, is now facing what they described as “a crisis of credibility,” warning that failure to act could deepen distrust among Nigeria’s over 40 million students.
The letter framed the controversy as a broader struggle over the future of student unionism in Nigeria, urging the President to distance his administration from any individual accused of exploiting government goodwill for personal gain.
