Borno Police Make U-Turn: 5 Youths Arrested Over ‘ Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts Also Had Indian Hemp, Shisha Pot And D5 Tablets
The Borno State Police Command has said the five men arrested in Maiduguri over T-shirts bearing the inscription ” Tinubu Must Go” were also found with substances suspected to be Indian hemp and other hard drugs.
The Command made the clarification in a statement on Wednesday following public outrage over the arrest and prosecution of the five suspects, whose case was first reported by SaharaReporters.
According to the police, the suspects were apprehended on September 25, 2026, during a routine township patrol around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri over alleged conduct capable of causing public disturbance.
“On 25 September, 2026, at about 1800hrs, officers of the Command, while on a routine township patrol around West End Roundabout area Maiduguri, apprehended five suspects allegedly involved in conduct capable of causing public disturbance,” the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, said.
The police said a search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, one scissors and two T-shirts bearing the inscription ” Tinubu Must Go.”
The suspects were subsequently subjected to preliminary investigation and charged to court.
The clarification follows a First Information Report (FIR) dated September 29, 2026, obtained by SaharaReporters, which identified the men as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
The FIR, issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Maiduguri, listed their alleged offences as criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
“On 25/09/26 at about 1100 hours, you 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 FIR stated.
The Command, however, sought to distance the arrests from political witch-hunt, insisting the Nigeria Police Force is a non-partisan institution.
“The Command wishes to categorically state that the Nigeria Police Force is a professional, non-partisan institution and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of political affiliation or viewpoint,” Daso said.
He added that the Command remains committed to the protection of fundamental human rights, rule of law and due process, and that charging the suspects to court was to allow the judicial process to determine the matter.
The arrests have drawn national attention because of the political nature of the slogan as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had earlier called for the release of the youths, describing wearing “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirt as political expression and not a crime.
