Five Men Face Court Over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts

Five men have appeared in court in northeastern Nigeria after being arrested for wearing “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts, a rights group said, in a case that has raised questions about freedom of expression ahead of January’s presidential election.

Police arrested the men in Maiduguri, Borno State, on September 25, accusing them of “criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery,” according to Amnesty International Nigeria.

The men, aged between 21 and 44, were remanded in custody on Tuesday and their trial is set to continue on October 6.

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Amnesty International described the charges as “bogus” and called for the men’s immediate release.

“The authorities must immediately release all of those detained and drop any purported plan to put them through a sham trial based on bogus charges,” Amnesty said.

“The right to show and express political opinion is not exclusive to only one political party.”

The rights group identified the men as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.

Borno State Police may have their hands full before mid-October, given the large number of active “Tinubu Must Go” volunteers in the state.

Borno State has one of the largest networks of supporters of the “Tinubu Must Go” movement in the North-East.

The government of Borno… https://t.co/VtA09PFDb6 pic.twitter.com/8ODqyGuhzE

— Sulaiman Uwaisu Idris (@KafinHausaa) September 29, 2026

Amnesty said they were supporters of the opposition African Democratic Congress, according to AFP.

“Hurriedly remanding them in prison and accusing them bizarrely of ‘the intent to cause breach of public peace within West End Roundabout Community Maiduguri’ simply for wearing a t-shirt with a message of political dissent is not a crime. Asserting political opposition is part of human rights,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The rights group called for their immediate release and demanded that authorities drop what it described as a “sham trial based on bogus charges”.

“The right to show and express political opinion is not exclusive to only one political party,” Amnesty added.

Amnesty also accused the Borno State Government and police of carrying out “repressive arrests and detentions targeting opposition political parties and their supporters”.

“Authorities in Borno state have resorted to the familiar playbook of using the law to criminalise peaceful dissent and silence opposition,” the statement read.

The organisation urged Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s administration to “uphold and ensure the rights of everyone to freedom of expression and association and respect the rule of law.”

Author

Jimisayo Opanuga

Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.