‘Tinubu Must Go’: Court Grants Bail To Five Borno Protesters

The five men arrested in Borno State for wearing T-shirts with the inscription ‘Tinubu Must Go’ have been granted bail by a court.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, days after the men were arrested and charged by the Borno State Police Command.

Naija News recalls that 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 later 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.

The police said the men were arrested during a routine patrol around West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.

According to the command, officers 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 police have maintained that the arrests were not based solely on the political message on the shirts, saying the suspects were apprehended over alleged conduct capable of causing public disturbance.

However, the ADC and other critics have accused the police of targeting the men for expressing opposition to President Bola Tinubu.

Announcing their bail, Rufai said the court action followed sustained pressure from the party and other concerned Nigerians.

“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 praised the lawyers representing the five men for what he described as their commitment to 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 ADC youth leader, however, continued his criticism of the Borno State Police Command, accusing it of focusing on the five youths while insecurity remained a major concern in the state.

“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,” Rufai said.

Hungry Officers Paid To Execute Arrest

He also criticized the conditions of police officers involved in the operation, saying they were themselves affected by governance challenges.

“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,” he added.

Rufai called on the Borno State Government and security agencies to withdraw the charges 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.

He further said the ADC would continue its campaign against Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Make no mistake, we will continue to fearlessly advocate for #TinubuMustGo across every corner of this nation,” Rufai said.

The arrests had earlier attracted criticism from opposition politicians, rights activists and other groups.

On October 1, lawyer and rights activist, Hamza N. Dantani, petitioned 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 State Police Command, particularly over remarks allegedly made by the Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sayyina Buba, at a public gathering.

The activist noted that Buba had reportedly apologized over the remarks but questioned why the police had not invited or investigated him while prosecuting the five men over the T-shirts.

The Borno Police Command has repeatedly denied acting for political reasons.

In its defence, the command described the Nigeria Police Force as a “professional, non-partisan institution” that does not discriminate against people because of their political affiliation or views.

The police said the suspects were charged before a competent court so that the judicial process could determine the matter.

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has also denied ordering the arrests, saying he neither authorized nor directed the detention of opposition politicians or people criticizing his administration.

The controversy later led to a fresh public display of the “Tinubu Must Go” slogan in Maiduguri.