The Borno State Police Command has arrested and charged five men accused of printing and wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” in Maiduguri.
The defendants were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) dated September 29, 2026, and issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Maiduguri, the men face charges of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.
The police alleged that the five men conspired on September 25 at about 11 a.m. to print and wear T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri, with the intention of causing a breach of public peace.
The alleged offences contravene Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code, according to the FIR.
The defendants were subsequently arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their counsel then applied for bail.
The court adjourned the bail application to October 6, 2026, for ruling, while it fixed October 26, 2026, for the substantive hearing of the case. The men were meanwhile remanded in a correctional facility.
However, the arrests come amid heightened political activities ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Amnesty International Condemns Arrests
Amnesty International condemned the detention of the five men, describing it as arbitrary and arguing that wearing a T-shirt carrying a message of political dissent should not, in itself, constitute a criminal offence.
The rights organisation called for the men’s release and urged authorities to discontinue what it described as prosecution based on questionable charges.
Amnesty maintained that the right to express political opinions applies regardless of political affiliation and urged the authorities to respect freedom of expression and association.
The specific circumstances surrounding the arrests, as well as the terms of the remand order, remain subject to the ongoing court proceedings.
By Musekir Faisat Omolara
