Borno police cite alleged drugs in arrests over anti-Tinubu shirts
Borno police say five men arrested in Maiduguri while wearing shirts reading “Tinubu Must Go” were also found with suspected cannabis, tablets, a shisha pot and scissors. The men face charges including criminal conspiracy and disturbance of public peace, while Amnesty International has called for their release.
The Borno State Police Command says five men arrested in Maiduguri while wearing T-shirts marked “Tinubu Must Go” were also found with suspected cannabis, tablets, a shisha pot and scissors. The police gave the account after criticism of the decision to charge the men following their arrest. In a statement issued by spokesperson Nahum Daso, the command said officers encountered the five during a routine patrol near West End Roundabout on September 25.
According to the police, officers found 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 said two of the recovered T-shirts carried the words “Tinubu Must Go”. The men are Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
Charges seen by Premium Times accuse them of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery. The charges allege that the men conspired by printing the shirts with the intention of causing a breach of public peace in the West End Roundabout community. The alleged offences were brought under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code Law.
Police said the men were taken into custody for preliminary investigation, statements were obtained and the case was later filed in court. The command did not specify the court or explain why the suspected drugs were not included in the charges, according to the supplied report. Amnesty International criticised the arrests and said wearing a shirt expressing opposition to President Bola Tinubu was not a crime.
It called for the men’s release and for the charges to be withdrawn, accusing the authorities of suppressing peaceful political dissent and targeting opposition supporters. The Borno police rejected any suggestion of political discrimination, describing the Nigeria Police Force as professional and non-partisan. The command said court proceedings would allow the judicial process to assess the evidence and urged the public to rely on verified information while the case was determined.
The supplied material does not report a court ruling or the men’s response to the police allegations.
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