Police give new account of arrests of five men over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts

The Borno State Police Command has said five men arrested in Maiduguri over T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” were also found with suspected cannabis, a shisha pot, tablets and other items.

The new allegation by the police comes following public criticism of the police’s decision to charge the men to court for wearing the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts.

In its statement issued on Wednesday, the police said the men were arrested on 25 September during a routine patrol around the West End Roundabout in Maiduguri, where officers allegedly found them with 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, a shisha pot and a pair of scissors.

The statement, issued by the Borno police command’s spokesperson, Nahum Daso, is the police’s first detailed explanation of the arrests, which sparked public criticism after the men were charged in court.

The five men are Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.

According to charges seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the men were accused of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.

The charges alleged that the five men “conspired together by printing some T-shirts with some inscription written Tinubu Must Go on it, with the intent to cause breach of public peace within the West End Roundabout Community.”

The alleged offences were said to be contrary to Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code Law.

Police account

In its statement on Wednesday, which came following public criticism of its actions, the Borno police command said its officers encountered the five men at about 6 p.m. on 25 September while conducting a routine township patrol.

The police said the “suspects were found in possession of 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, and one pair of scissors.”

It said the men were “allegedly involved in conduct capable of causing public disturbance” and were subsequently taken into custody for preliminary investigation.

The statement added that the items recovered from the suspects included two T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

The command said statements were obtained from the suspects during the investigation and the case was subsequently filed before a court.

The police did not specify in the statement the court where the case was filed or provide details of the allegations relating to the suspected drugs. It also did not explain why the alleged drugs found on the suspect were not mentioned in the charges filed against them.

Amnesty condemns arrests

The arrests had drawn criticism from Amnesty International, which accused the authorities of using the law to suppress peaceful political dissent.

In a statement, the rights organisation said wearing a T-shirt expressing opposition to President Bola Tinubu did not constitute a crime.

“Hurriedly remanding them in prison and accusing them bizarrely of ‘the intent to cause breach of public peace within West End Roundabout Community Maiduguri’ simply for wearing a T-shirt with a message of political dissent is not a crime,” Amnesty said.

The organisation called for the release of the five men and the withdrawal of the charges.

Amnesty also accused the Borno State Government and the police of targeting opposition parties and their supporters through arrests and detentions.

It urged Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s administration to respect freedom of expression and association and uphold the rule of law.

“Political opposition is part of human rights,” the organisation said, arguing that the right to express political opinions should not be limited to supporters of one political party.

READ ALSO: Police charge five men over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts

Police defend action

The Borno police said the Nigeria Police Force is a professional and non-partisan institution and does not discriminate against people based on their political affiliation or views.

“The Command remains committed to the protection of fundamental human rights, the rule of law, due process, accountability and transparency in the discharge of its responsibilities,” Mr Daso said.

The command said taking the case to court was intended to allow the judicial process to determine the matter based on the evidence presented.

It urged members of the public to rely on verified information and allow the court to determine the case.