Five men arrested in Borno State for wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” have been granted bail by a court.
The development was disclosed by the National Youth Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Balarabe Rufai, who said the men were released on bail following pressure from the party and other Nigerians.
The suspects — Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abbacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed — were arrested in Maiduguri on September 25.
They were subsequently charged with alleged criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
Announcing the court’s decision, Rufai said the five men had been unfairly detained for expressing their political views.
“Following our sustained outcry, all five patriotic Nigerians unjustly arrested in Borno State for peacefully wearing #TinubuMustGo T-shirts have finally been granted bail by the court,” he said.
Rufai also commended the legal team representing the suspects, describing their efforts as important to the pursuit of justice.
“We deeply appreciate our dedicated defense lawyers who stood firmly for justice and proved once again that expressing a political opinion is not a crime under any law,” he said.
The Borno State Police Command had earlier said the arrests were made during a routine patrol around West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.
According to the police, officers allegedly recovered 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, a shisha pot, scissors and two T-shirts carrying the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.
The command maintained that the arrests were not solely connected to the message on the shirts, insisting that the suspects were apprehended over conduct allegedly capable of causing a disturbance of public peace.
The police have also rejected allegations that the arrests were politically motivated, describing the Nigeria Police Force as a “professional, non-partisan institution” that does not discriminate against people based on their political affiliation or views.
The command said the suspects were taken before a competent court, allowing the judicial process to determine the matter.
However, Rufai continued to criticise the police handling of the case, accusing the command of prioritising the arrest of the five men while insecurity remains a major challenge in Borno.
“Yet, we must condemn the Borno State Police Command’s misplaced efficiency: they deployed tactical speed to jail unarmed youths over printed cotton, while Boko Haram has spent over fifteen years burning villages and terrorizing rural communities with impunity,” he said.
He also criticised the treatment of police officers involved in the arrest, arguing that they were themselves victims of poor governance.
“The underpaid, hungry officers sent to execute these cowardly orders are themselves victims of the same governance failure, enforcing repression for political elites who treat them as disposable tools,” Rufai added.
The ADC youth leader called on the state government and security agencies to discontinue the case against the five men.
“Let this serve as an absolute warning to the Borno State Government and their security proxies: granting bail is only a minor step, and we demand the complete dropping of all fabricated charges,” he said.
Rufai further vowed that the ADC would continue campaigning against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Make no mistake, we will continue to fearlessly advocate for #TinubuMustGo across every corner of this nation,” he said.
The arrests had attracted criticism from opposition politicians, rights activists and other groups.
On October 1, lawyer and rights activist Hamza N. Dantani petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, over the arrest, detention and prosecution of the five men.
Dantani questioned what he described as possible selective enforcement by the Borno Police Command, particularly in relation to remarks allegedly made by the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sayyina Buba, at a public gathering.
The activist noted that Buba had reportedly apologised over the remarks and questioned why he had not been invited or investigated while the five men were being prosecuted.
Meanwhile, Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, denied ordering the arrests, saying he neither authorised nor directed the detention of opposition politicians or individuals criticising his administration.
The controversy surrounding the case subsequently led to another public display of the “Tinubu Must Go” slogan in Maiduguri.
