Borno Police Defend Arrest of Five Men Over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts, Cite Public Disturbance and Suspected Drugs

Reported by Musa Antiketu,| Journalist at Obaland magazine.

The Borno State Police Command has defended the arrest and prosecution of five men in Maiduguri whose case attracted public attention after they were linked to T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

The police said the men were not prosecuted simply because of the political message on the shirts, but over allegations including inciting disturbance, breach of public peace, thuggery and possession of suspected illicit substances.

According to a statement issued by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, the five men were arrested during a routine township patrol around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri. Police alleged that the suspects were involved in conduct capable of causing a public disturbance.

The Command said officers recovered 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, a shisha pot, a pair of scissors and two T-shirts carrying the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.

Police said preliminary investigations were subsequently conducted and statements were obtained from the suspects before the matter was taken to court.

The five defendants were 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 listed allegations of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.

The defendants were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri and pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Their lawyers subsequently applied for bail. The court reportedly adjourned proceedings until October 6, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application, while the substantive case was scheduled for October 26.

The case has generated wider debate because the political slogan displayed on the T-shirts has become central to public discussion surrounding the arrests.

Amnesty International criticised the arrests, arguing that the expression of political dissent through clothing should not, by itself, constitute a criminal offence. The organisation called for the release of the men and challenged the authorities over what it described as the criminalisation of peaceful political expression.

The police, however, have rejected the suggestion that the arrests were based solely on political affiliation or viewpoint. The Command maintained that the Nigeria Police Force is a non-partisan institution and said the suspects were being prosecuted over alleged criminal conduct.

The police also stressed that taking the matter before a competent court would allow the allegations and evidence to be tested through due process. The Command urged the public to rely on verified information and allow the judiciary to determine the case.

The competing accounts place the judicial proceedings at the centre of the controversy. While the police say the case involves alleged public-order offences and suspected drug possession alongside the political clothing, rights advocates have focused attention on the implications for freedom of expression and political dissent.

Claims circulating about possible political involvement in the arrests have also emerged, but available reports indicate that such allegations have not been independently established, and the police First Information Report does not establish such a directive as the basis for the charges.

With the defendants having pleaded not guilty, the allegations remain unproven. The forthcoming proceedings will provide an opportunity for the prosecution and defence to present their respective cases before the court.

The development comes as political mobilisation increases ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, making questions surrounding political expression, public order and the conduct of security agencies particularly significant. For Obaland magazine, the distinction between political expression and alleged criminal conduct remains essential to accurately reporting the matter without prejudging the court’s eventual determination.

Borno Police defend the arrest of five men linked to “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts, citing alleged public disturbance, thuggery and suspected drug possession as the case proceeds in Maiduguri.