Sowore Condemns Arrest of Five Borno Men Over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts
Presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore has condemned the arrest and detention of five men in Borno State over their alleged involvement in wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go.”
The five men were arrested in Maiduguri and subsequently arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court over allegations including criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery, according to a First Information Report issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department.
The FIR identified the defendants as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abbacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed. The police alleged that they conspired to print and wear the T-shirts with the intention of causing a breach of public peace around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri.
The men reportedly pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the court. Their lawyers subsequently applied for bail, with the court adjourning the matter to October 6, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application. The substantive case is reportedly scheduled for October 26.
Reacting to the development in a social media post, Sowore demanded the immediate release of the five men, arguing that citizens should be free to express political opposition in a democracy.
Sowore also alleged that the arrests were engineered by Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum with the assistance of the police. The allegation has not been independently verified, and the Borno State Government has not formally confirmed it.
“I wholeheartedly condemn the unlawful arrest, humiliation, and detention of these citizens for freely expressing their political opposition to the failed Tinubu regime in Borno State,” Sowore wrote.
He called for the charges against the five men to be dropped and for their immediate release, maintaining that political opposition and peaceful expression should not be treated as criminal acts.
“Political opposition is not a crime. Peaceful expression is not a crime. Nigerians must never be imprisoned simply for opposing those in power,” he stated.
The arrests have also drawn criticism from the Borno State chapter of the African Democratic Congress and Amnesty International, which have raised concerns about freedom of expression and the treatment of political dissent.
The case comes amid increased political activity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with the “Tinubu Must Go” slogan increasingly appearing in opposition political activities and public demonstrations.
