Five men arrested in Borno State over their alleged involvement in the “Tinubu Must Go” campaign have been granted bail by a court.
The men—Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abbacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed—were arrested in Maiduguri on September 25 while wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription.
They were subsequently charged with alleged criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.
The police said the arrests were not based solely on the message on the T-shirts, stating that officers also recovered suspected Indian hemp, tablets, a shisha pot, scissors and two of the branded T-shirts during the arrest.
However, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the arrests and called for all charges against the men to be dropped.
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ADC National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, said the party welcomed the court’s decision to grant the five men bail but insisted that expressing a political opinion should not be treated as a criminal offence.
The ADC also vowed to continue its “Tinubu Must Go” campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Borno State Police Command has maintained that it acted professionally and without political bias, insisting that the suspects were charged before a competent court to allow the judicial process to determine the matter.
The arrests had earlier sparked reactions from opposition figures and rights activists, while a subsequent street demonstration in Maiduguri saw youths wearing similar “Tinubu Must Go” shirts in solidarity with the arrested men.
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