Amnesty International has rejected the Nigerian Police Force’s claim that five men arrested in Maiduguri while wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” were also found with suspected illicit drugs.
The rights organisation described the police explanation as an attempt to justify the continued detention of the men and demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
The five men, identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were arrested in Maiduguri on September 25, 2026.
The Borno State Police Command said the men were arrested during a routine patrol around the West End Roundabout over alleged thuggery, inciting public disturbance and possession of suspected illicit substances. Police said items recovered included suspected Indian hemp, tablets, a shisha pot, scissors and two “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts.
However, Amnesty said the drug allegation represented a fresh narrative introduced by the police to justify the arrests. It maintained that expressing a dissenting political opinion is not, by itself, a criminal offence.
The men were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Maiduguri and pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers applied for bail, with the court expected to rule on the application on October 6, while the substantive case was adjourned to October 26.
Amnesty called on the police and Borno State Government to end what it described as arbitrary arrests linked to political expression and uphold citizens’ rights to freedom of expression.
The police allegations and Amnesty’s position remain contested, with the matter now before the court.
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