BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026/ 04:24PM
The Borno State Police Command has clarified the arrest and prosecution of five persons earlier reported to have been detained for wearing T-shirts with the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” in Maiduguri.
The clarification follows condemnation by Amnesty International, which described the arrest of the five men - Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed - as arbitrary and unlawful.
In a press release issued on Wednesday by the command's spokesman, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, said the suspects were apprehended for alleged thuggery, inciting disturbance and possession of illicit drugs, and not for political expression.
According to the command, the suspects were arrested on September 25, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. during a routine township patrol around West End Roundabout, Maiduguri, for conduct capable of causing public disturbance.
The command said items recovered from them include 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, one scissors and two T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
ASP Daso said the suspects were subjected to preliminary investigation during which statements were obtained from them, and were subsequently charged to court upon completion of initial investigation.
'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 command remains committed to the protection of fundamental human rights, the rule of law, due process, accountability and transparency in the discharge of its responsibilities,' he explained.
The command added that charging the matter to court was to allow the judicial process to take its course, and urged members of the public to rely on verified information and allow the court to determine the matter based on facts and evidence.
Amnesty International had earlier called for the immediate release of the five men, accusing the Borno State Government and the Police of criminalizing peaceful dissent.