The Borno State Police Command has arrested and arraigned five men in Maiduguri over allegations linked to T-shirts bearing the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go,” prompting condemnation from Amnesty International over what it described as an infringement on peaceful political expression.
The men were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abbacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Maiduguri, the men allegedly conspired to print and wear the T-shirts with the intention of causing a breach of public peace around the West End Roundabout area of the city. The police charged them with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
Reports indicate that the defendants were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Maiduguri and pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Their lawyers subsequently sought bail, with the court reportedly fixing October 6 for a ruling on the bail application and October 26 for substantive proceedings.
Amnesty International condemned the arrests and detention, describing the action as arbitrary and arguing that wearing a T-shirt expressing political dissent should not, in itself, constitute a criminal offence.
The rights organisation called on the authorities to release the five men and discontinue what it described as a prosecution based on questionable charges. It also stressed that the right to express political opinions should apply regardless of political affiliation.
Amnesty further alleged that the Borno State Government and police had increasingly used arrests and detention against opposition parties and their supporters, urging the authorities to respect freedom of expression, freedom of association and the rule of law.
However, allegations that the arrests were ordered by Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum have not been independently verified. Available reports indicate that the police FIR itself attributes the case to the alleged conduct of the defendants and the purported intention to cause a breach of public peace.
The case comes amid heightened political activity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, adding to the debate over the balance between public-order laws and the exercise of political expression.
