The Borno State Police Command has dismissed widespread public criticism surrounding the arrest of five young men wearing T-shirts with the inscription ‘Tinubu Must Go.’ Authorities clarified that the suspects were not detained because of their political stance, but rather for alleged drug possession and conduct capable of causing a public disturbance.
Details of the Arrest and Police Allegations
According to the police spokesperson in Borno State, Nahum Kenneth Daso, officers on a routine patrol apprehended the five suspects near the West-end roundabout in Maiduguri. The arrest took place at approximately 6:00 p.m. on September 25, 2026.
The police identified the arrested individuals as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed. Daso rejected claims that the arrests constituted a crackdown on free speech, stating that officers recovered illicit items from the suspects during the operation.
The items reportedly retrieved by the police include:
- 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp
- 100 tablets suspected to be D5
- One shisha pot and a pair of scissors
- Two T-shirts bearing the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ slogan
The suspects have since been arraigned in court. They face charges of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, breach of public peace, and thuggery, which fall under the Borno State Penal Code. The court has adjourned the matter to rule on their bail applications, while the substantive trial is set to begin later in October.
Amnesty International Criticizes the Arrests
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has strongly rejected the police explanation, characterizing the drug allegations as a fabricated narrative. The organization argued that these new claims were only introduced after public backlash over the initial charges of inciting public disturbance and thuggery.
According to the rights group, linking the activists to illegal drugs represents a desperate effort by authorities to penalize peaceful political expression. Amnesty International called on the Nigeria Police and the Borno State government to halt arbitrary arrests of opposition figures, warning that such measures threaten to shrink the civic space and stifle free speech in the region.