Wearing ‘ Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirt Is Not a Crime, This Is Pure Oppression — Borno Human Rights Lawyer Accuses Zulum of Using Police and Courts to Silence Dissent

Human rights lawyer and activist, Barrister Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has accused Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of using the police and courts to oppress citizens for expressing political opinions, following the arrest and remand of five men for wearing T-shirts inscribed with ” Tinubu Must Go”.

The five men — Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21 — were arrested at West End Roundabout, Maiduguri, on September 25 and remanded in prison custody on September 29.

According to the First Information Report, FIR, from the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Maiduguri, they were charged under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.

The FIR stated that they conspired to print T-shirts with the inscription ” Tinubu Must Go” with intent to cause breach of public peace.

Reacting in an interview with DCL Hausa, Barrister Dantani described the arrest as pure oppression and a violation of Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of association.

“This is not an accusation. He is a governor who wants to be praised for lies without truth. He claims he does not oppress people, but records show he has oppressed people by using police and courts to detain people just for expressing their opinion,” Dantani said.

“Section 39 gives every Nigerian the right to express his political opinion. The law also gives every Nigerian the right to associate and express political views.”

He questioned the logic of criminalising the slogan:

“‘Tinubu Must Go’, what is wrong with ‘ Tinubu Must Go’ inside it? Are there not those who say ‘ Tinubu Must Stay’? Why were they not arrested?” he asked.

Dantani accused Governor Zulum of a pattern of repression, recalling that about a year ago, the governor allegedly demolished a plaza of about five floors belonging to a member of the State House of Assembly worth about two billion naira over political differences, after detaining him for about nine days.

He also cited the case of three persons who were recently discharged by the Court of Appeal after spending five years in detention for participating in the 2024 hunger protest, alleging that Zulum used his powers to keep them locked up.

On the current case, Dantani alleged that not only those who wore the T-shirts were arrested, but also those who printed them and those who went to bail them were also detained by police and remanded the same evening.

“Children were just wearing ‘ Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts. Those who wore them, those who printed them, those who went for their bail, police arrested all of them and locked them up. They used government power and police power and took them to prison,” he said.

“They think they will frighten people who use such shirts so that people will stop wearing them and stop expressing who they want to vote for.”

He faulted the police for filing what he called a false charge and criticised the Magistrate for remanding the youths.

“I am surprised at how the law gives a judge the opportunity to look at a complaint brought before him, whether the complaint is worthy of detaining a person or not. But when you read this thing, you as a judge reading it, you know this thing is oppression. You should use your power as a judge… because government people are threatening you or because you think nothing will happen to you, you took them to prison? This oppression is known to everyone. It is everyone’s right to end oppression and stand on truth,” he said.

“But they rushed and took them to prison this evening just because they wore ‘ Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts. This is not right and it is oppression.”

He added: “You are paid with government money. This money you are using is people’s right that you took to prison. It is not your money, you did not farm, you did not do any work. You are sitting with security guarding you, you take people’s wealth and enjoy government, and then it is under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government. They said they don’t want ‘ Tinubu Must Go’. What is in ‘ Tinubu Must Go’? Are there not those who say ‘ Tinubu Must Stay’? Why were they not arrested? What kind of oppression is this?”

Responding to claims that the youths might have committed other offences, Dantani said the charge itself proves otherwise.

“If they committed another offence, they would have written it in the charge. I posted the charge on Facebook. What they wrote there is just that they wore this ‘ Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirt. That wearing the shirt can cause disturbance. What pure oppression!” he said.

“If the person who wrote this does not repent to Allah, and these children do not forgive him, by Allah, his judgement with Allah, if truly Allah says he does not like oppression, then this is oppression and Allah will punish him for what he did. Because you wrote this thing knowing it is not so, you wrote a lie and took it before a judge. The judge used his power to lock up these people.”

On the role of lawyers speaking out, Dantani said: “We lawyers when you see us talking about a criminal case, it is not us who said it. The law said that anyone accused of a crime is only accused, he has not committed a crime, only the court has the power to say he committed a crime… And it is said that any person accused of a crime has the right to take a lawyer. In fact, it is said that if he is arrested he has the right to remain silent until his lawyer comes. In fact, he has the right to freedom and a lawyer to defend him before the court. So you see this is the law, we did not impose it on ourselves.”

He called on the Borno State Government to fear God.

“I want to call the attention of the Borno State Government to fear Allah. To fear the seat they are in. This seat whether they like it or not they will leave it. And to fear Allah and respect people’s lives. There are things Allah does not forgive, especially what concerns people’s rights. Let them respect people’s rights, especially Governor Zulum,” he said.

“If it is not him, and others are using his government without his knowledge, he is the leader, so any responsibility that happens or anything that happens in Borno State, the responsibility is on him as a leader. So we beg him to help allow people to express themselves.”

Dantani also recalled a recent statement by a commissioner who allegedly said anyone who does not vote for APC will be flogged.

“Recently his commissioner came out to say that anyone who does not vote for APC will be flogged. So is this the flogging he was talking about or not? Is it from the same mouth or did he send the commissioner to say that? Although the commissioner came to apologize, but you see his apology did not work because here we are seeing opposition people being arrested. We are not with the opposition party, no. We are for allowing people to express their opinions, express their views and choose who they want, and express who they want to be elected. This is not a crime.”

The remand of the five youths has sparked outrage, with Amnesty International and the Borno chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, condemning the arrests as unconstitutional, undemocratic and an abuse of state power ahead of the 2027 general elections.