‘Tinubu Must Go’: Court Grants Bail To Five Men Arrested In Borno

A court has granted bail to five men arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, after they were seen wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

The development was disclosed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, in a statement issued on Tuesday, following the arrest and prosecution of the five men by the Borno State Police Command.

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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 subsequently 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 suspects were arrested during a routine patrol around the West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.

According to the Borno State Police 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 bearing the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.

The police have maintained that the arrest was not based solely on the political message printed on the shirts. The command said the suspects were arrested over alleged conduct capable of causing public disturbance and that the matter was subsequently brought before a competent court for determination.

The arrests, however, generated criticism from opposition politicians, activists and other Nigerians, with the ADC and its supporters alleging that the men were targeted because of their expression of opposition to President Bola Tinubu.

Announcing the court’s decision to grant the five men bail, Rufai said the development followed sustained pressure from the ADC 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,” Rufai said.

He also commended the lawyers representing the suspects, praising them 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 added.

Rufai, however, continued his criticism of the Borno State Police Command, accusing the security agency of what he described as misplaced priorities.

He questioned why police officers moved quickly to arrest the five men while insecurity, particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram and other armed groups, remained a major concern in parts of Borno 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.

He also criticised the working conditions of the police officers involved in the arrest, describing them as victims of wider 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 said.

Rufai called on the Borno State Government and security agencies to withdraw the charges against the five men, describing the charges as fabricated.

“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 declared that the ADC would continue to campaign against the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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

The case had earlier attracted wider public attention following interventions by opposition politicians, rights activists and other groups.

On October 1, lawyer and rights activist Hamza N. Dantani reportedly petitioned the 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 in relation to remarks allegedly made by the Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sayyina Buba, at a public gathering.

The activist reportedly argued that although Buba had apologised over the remarks, questions remained over why the commissioner was not invited or investigated in the same manner as the five men.

The Borno State Police Command has repeatedly rejected allegations that the arrest was politically motivated.

The command described the Nigeria Police Force as a professional and non-partisan institution, insisting that it does not discriminate against Nigerians on the basis of political affiliation or opinion.

The police also maintained that the suspects were charged before a competent court and that the judicial process would determine the merits of the case.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has equally denied ordering the arrests. The governor said he neither authorised nor directed the detention of opposition politicians or individuals criticising his administration.

The controversy surrounding the arrest and subsequent bail has now become another point of political debate ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly over the boundaries between political expression, public order and the enforcement of criminal laws.

While the ADC and its supporters maintain that the five men were arrested for expressing opposition to Tinubu, the police position remains that the suspects were arrested over alleged conduct and items found during the patrol operation, rather than simply because of the message on their T-shirts.

The court’s decision to grant bail does not, by itself, amount to a determination of guilt or innocence, and the substantive case remains subject to the judicial process.