Five Arrested in Borno Over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts
The Borno State Police Command has arrested and charged five men accused of printing and wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” in Maiduguri, according to a First Information Report (FIR) obtained by Globalvoice.
The men were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
The FIR, dated September 29, 2026, was issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Maiduguri and addressed to the Chief Magistrate Court in the city.
Police listed the alleged offences as criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.
Police: T-Shirts Were Intended to Cause Public Disorder
According to the police document, the five men allegedly acted together to print T-shirts carrying the words “Tinubu Must Go” and intended to cause a breach of public peace around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri.
The FIR states that the alleged offences contravened Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
The police document states:
“On 25/09/26 at about 1100 hours, you Baba Aji Gremami, male; Mustapha Abba Yemen, male; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, male; Adam Umar Gubio, male and Abdulhamid Mohammed, male, conspired together by printing same T shirt with some inscription written ‘Tinubu Must Go’ on it with the intent to cause breach of public peace within West End roundabout community…”
The officer handling the case subsequently directed that the suspects be charged before the court.
Suspects Reportedly Remanded
A source familiar with the case told Globalvoice that the five men were subsequently taken before a court and remanded in a correctional facility.
The specific terms and duration of the remand order were not immediately available.
Globalvoice also could not independently establish whether the suspects have legal representation or whether they have entered pleas to the allegations.
The men remain suspects, and the allegations contained in the police FIR have not been established in court.
Arrests Come Amid Rising Political Activity
The arrests come as political activity intensifies ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections.
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum recently returned from a trip to the United States and Canada and subsequently launched an All Progressives Congress (APC) mobilisation campaign in the state in support of President Bola Tinubu and other party candidates.
Against that political backdrop, the slogan “Tinubu Must Go” has appeared at protests and political demonstrations in different parts of Nigeria.
In the Borno case, however, the police FIR specifically connects the alleged offences to the production and wearing of the T-shirts, claiming that the activity was intended to cause a breach of public peace.
Questions Over the Arrests
The case raises broader questions about the line between political expression and conduct that authorities consider capable of provoking public disorder.
The police allegation is that the suspects acted with an intention to disturb public peace. Whether the evidence supports that claim will ultimately be determined through the judicial process.
For now, the available FIR establishes the police's allegations—not a finding of guilt.
Globalvoice could not independently verify the circumstances surrounding the arrests, including the allegation that the operation followed a directive from the Borno State governor to the Commissioner of Police.
The specific court proceedings and conditions attached to the suspects' remand also remain unclear.
As the case proceeds, those details will be central to determining exactly what happened, why the five men were arrested and what evidence prosecutors intend to present against them.
