In a controversial move, the Borno State Police Command has arrested five young men for wearing T-shirts that read "Tinubu Must Go." The police assert that the arrests were not politically motivated but were based on allegations of drug possession and public disturbance.

The arrests occurred on September 25, 2026, during a routine patrol near the West-end roundabout in Maiduguri. The suspects, identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were apprehended after police claimed to have discovered 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets believed to be D5, a shisha pot, scissors, and the protest T-shirts.

Police Public Relations Officer Nahum Kenneth Daso stated that the charges against the suspects include criminal conspiracy, thuggery, and inciting disturbance, all under the Borno State Penal Code. Daso emphasized that the police are a non-partisan institution and that the decision to charge the men was intended to allow the judiciary to assess the situation fairly.

Despite the police's assertions, Amnesty International has expressed strong objections to the drug allegations. The organization characterized the claims as a tactic to suppress dissent following public backlash against the arrests. They argue that the initial charges of inciting disturbance and thuggery were politically motivated and that the subsequent drug allegations represent a desperate attempt to justify the arrests.

Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the five men, stating that expressing dissenting political views is not a crime. The organization warned that such actions by the police could further restrict civic space and freedom of expression in Borno State.

The suspects have since been charged in court, with a bail application filed by their legal representatives. The court has adjourned the bail ruling until October 6, 2026, while the substantive trial is scheduled for October 26, 2026. The situation has sparked significant debate regarding the balance between law enforcement and political expression in Nigeria, raising concerns about the implications for civil liberties in the region.