Why five men with ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts were arrested – Police

Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor 

The Borno State Police Command has moved to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of five men in Maiduguri, saying they were prosecuted over allegations including inciting disturbance, breach of public peace, thuggery and possession of suspected drug substances, rather than simply for wearing T-shirts bearing the political inscription “Tinubu Must Go” .

The clarification, issued on Wednesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, followed days of public controversy and widespread condemnation from rights organisations and opposition political parties. The police said the suspects were apprehended during a routine township patrol around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri on September 25, 2026, at about 6 p.m. According to the Command, officers found the five men in possession of fifteen wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, one hundred tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, one pair of scissors and two T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” .

The police stated that the suspects were subjected to preliminary investigation, during which statements were obtained from them, before the case was taken to court . The Command rejected any suggestion that the arrests were based on the suspects’ political views. “The Command wishes to categorically state that the Nigeria Police Force is a professional, non-partisan institution and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of political affiliation or viewpoint,” the statement read . It added that the decision to prosecute the matter was made to enable a competent court to determine the case through the judicial process, and urged members of the public to rely on verified information and allow the court to assess the facts and evidence presented before it .

The five men have been identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21 . A First Information Report issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department in Maiduguri on September 29, 2026, and forwarded to the Chief Magistrate Court, alleged that the men conspired to print and wear the T-shirts with the intention of causing a breach of public peace within the West End Roundabout community . The charges were brought under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code . The FIR stated that the alleged incident occurred on September 25 at about 11 a.m., while the police account of the patrol arrest placed the time at about 6 p.m., a discrepancy that has not been publicly reconciled . The suspects were arraigned and remanded in custody, with the case adjourned for a bail ruling and substantive trial .

The arrests drew swift and sharp condemnation from Amnesty International, which described the detention as arbitrary and accused the authorities of criminalising peaceful political dissent. “Hurriedly remanding them in prison and accusing them bizarrely of ‘the intent to cause breach of public peace within West End Roundabout Community Maiduguri’ simply for wearing a t-shirt with a message of political dissent is not a crime,” the organisation said . Amnesty called on the authorities to release the men immediately and drop what it described as a sham trial based on bogus charges, adding that the right to express political opinions should not be restricted to supporters of any particular political party . The organisation further alleged that the Borno State Government and the police had increasingly carried out repressive arrests targeting opposition parties and their supporters, describing the development as part of a pattern of using the law to suppress peaceful dissent . The police had not responded to Amnesty’s claims at the time the organisation issued its statement, though the Command’s subsequent clarification directly addressed the suggestion that the arrests were politically motivated.

The Borno State chapter of the African Democratic Congress also condemned the arrests, describing them as undemocratic, unconstitutional and a gross abuse of government institutions for partisan political witch-hunting. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Baba Ahmed Mustapha, the party argued that wearing a T-shirt with a political inscription is a legitimate exercise of the freedom of expression guaranteed by Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution. “Democracy thrives on dissent,” the party said. “Criminalising a political slogan shows fear and intolerance, not strength” . The ADC demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the five men, a public apology to them and their families, and called on the Commissioner of Police to remain professional and not allow the police to be turned into a political wing of the ruling party . The party also drew a pointed historical parallel, noting that a party that rode to power on the back of protest and freedom of expression was now turning around to gag the same freedom for ordinary Nigerians .

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, also demanded the immediate release of the five men, saying the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” represented a political demand and should not, by itself, constitute a criminal offence. In a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku recalled that President Bola Tinubu had participated in protests against fuel price increases under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, and said the development was ironic given the current economic difficulties facing Nigerians . “Tinubu opposed Jonathan’s fuel policy in the streets. Nigerians are living with the consequences of Tinubu’s fuel policy in their homes,” Atiku said. “Parents are cutting meals. Workers can scarcely afford the journey to work. Families are being crushed by bills that rise faster than their income. And when citizens put their anger on a T-shirt, the response is reportedly an arrest” . He added, “What kind of democracy grants its President the right to protest, then takes that right away from everyone else?” . Atiku urged the authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrests, disclose the whereabouts of the five men, grant them immediate access to their families and lawyers, and release them if the political slogan was the reason for their detention. “Release these five citizens now,” he said .

The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of heightened political activity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Governor Babagana Umara Zulum recently returned from a visit to the United States and Canada and subsequently commenced an APC mobilisation drive in Borno, with the campaign aimed at supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates of the ruling party. A source quoted by SaharaReporters claimed that the arrests were made following an alleged directive from Zulum to the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid, a claim that has not been independently verified and which neither the Governor nor the police have publicly addressed .

For the five men in custody, the next phase of the legal process will determine whether they are granted bail and whether the substantive trial proceeds. Their case has become a test of whether the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression extends to the wearing of a T-shirt bearing a political slogan, and whether the Borno State Police Command can demonstrate that the arrests and prosecution were motivated by genuine concerns about public order and drug possession rather than political considerations. The police have urged the public to allow the court to assess the facts and evidence, insisting that the Force remains committed to the protection of fundamental human rights, the rule of law, due process, accountability and transparency . Whether that commitment is borne out in the courtroom will be watched closely across Nigeria as the country navigates a charged pre-election season in which the boundaries of political expression are being contested in real time.

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