Tinubu Must Go T-Shirts: Activist Challenges Police Account Of Borno Arrests

One of the founders of the “Tinubu Must Go” movement, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has challenged the clarification issued by the Borno State Police Command over the arrest and prosecution of five persons in Maiduguri.

Dantani, a human rights activist, said he had carefully studied the statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso Kenneth, and found apparent discrepancies between the police account and the charge sheet before the court.

The police had said the five suspects were arrested over alleged thuggery, inciting public disturbance and possession of illicit substances, while denying that they were targeted for wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

According to the police statement, officers recovered 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, a pair of scissors and two T-shirts bearing the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.

However, Dantani alleged that the items listed by the police were not reflected in the particulars of the offences contained in the charge sheet before the court, apart from the reference to the inscription.

He questioned why the alleged items recovered from the suspects were not captured in the particulars of the offences for which they were arraigned.

“If the Police genuinely arrested these persons with the items listed in its public statement, why are those alleged items not reflected in the particulars of the offenses contained in the charge sheet?” Dantani asked.

He further questioned how the alleged items, even if recovered, established the offences of conspiracy and inciting public disturbance for which the five persons were prosecuted.

“More importantly, assuming, without conceding, that those items were recovered from the suspects, how do they establish the offenses of conspiracy and inciting public disturbance for which the five persons were prosecuted?” he said.

Dantani argued that a police press statement could not substitute for the charge before the court, adding that the prosecution must establish the ingredients of the specific offences charged through admissible evidence and the particulars contained in the charge.

“The charge sheet is a court document. It is available on the record of the proceedings,” he said.

He also urged the police to exercise caution when making public statements about persons who had not been convicted, arguing that such statements could affect their reputation, dignity and fundamental rights.

Dantani stressed that the presumption of innocence remained fundamental, with every person charged with a criminal offence presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.

He called on the Borno State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Naziru Abdulmajid, to explain the apparent contradiction between the charge sheet and the statement issued by its spokesperson.

Dantani also urged the command to review the circumstances surrounding the continued detention of the five persons and, where the charges were found to be unsupported or legally defective, take appropriate lawful steps to bring the matter to an end.

“No citizen should remain in prison custody merely because of a political expression or slogan where the prosecution cannot establish a legally cognizable offense supported by the particulars and evidence required by law,” he said.

“This is not about politics. It is about law, due process, human dignity and the rule of law.”

The controversy followed the arrest of five men in Maiduguri on September 25, 2026.

The police said the suspects — Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were arrested at about 6pm during a routine township patrol around West-end Roundabout.

According to ASP Daso, the suspects engaged in conduct considered capable of causing a breach of public peace.

The police subsequently said the suspects were charged to court after preliminary investigations and the recording of statements.

The case was mentioned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri, where the five defendants pleaded not guilty.

The arrests generated criticism from groups and individuals, including Amnesty International, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Borno State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The criticism followed reports that the men had been detained after being seen wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

The police, however, rejected the claim that the arrests were politically motivated, insisting that the suspects were being prosecuted over alleged criminal offences.

The command said the Nigeria Police Force was a professional and non-partisan institution that did not discriminate against persons based on political affiliation or viewpoint.

The “Tinubu Must Go” slogan, according to Dantani, began as scattered chants during Democracy Day protests in June 2026 before developing into a coordinated movement.

Dantani and fellow human rights lawyer and activist Abba Hikima Fagge confirmed that they founded the movement.

They described TMG as a non-partisan platform for public enlightenment aimed at mobilising Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.

Dantani said the movement was established in response to what he described as dissatisfaction with the administration’s economic policies, insecurity and hardship among Nigerians.

He cited the removal of fuel subsidy, rising petroleum and commodity prices, taxation and insecurity among the issues that motivated the movement.

“What inspired us to establish this movement is looking at the way the government and policies of this government are not friendly to the progress of this country,” Dantani said.

He said the movement was also motivated by what its organisers regarded as a gap between promises made during the 2023 election campaign and citizens’ experiences since Tinubu assumed office.

“We wanted to see the changes. We wanted to bring changes to this administration,” he said.

Dantani also said the movement sought to challenge what he described as the prolonged dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal level.

“We can no longer be in a one-party system that has ruled since 2015. APC is ruling this country to date. So, we want to bring change,” he said.

He, however, said the movement was established in the interest of ordinary Nigerians and not to secure political appointments or advance the personal ambitions of its organisers.

“We believe that we organised this movement because of consideration of the poor masses of this country, not because of our personal gain, not because of our ambition to have any political office, not because of any promises, and not because of money,” Dantani said.

According to him, the growth of TMG, particularly on social media, was driven by what he described as widespread dissatisfaction.

“There is no particular secret. The secret is sincerity and honesty. People are tired of this administration,” he said.

He added that the movement’s objective extended beyond protests to mobilising Nigerians towards political change through the 2027 election.

Dantani said TMG had written to some opposition politicians as part of efforts to encourage them to unite but had yet to receive a response.

“Our initial intention was to serve them with letters so that at least we need unity. Let them unite themselves and come up with one contestant who will contest on behalf of the opposition,” he said.

The question of which opposition candidate the movement should support, however, remains unresolved.

Dantani’s co-convener, Abba Hikima, had publicly expressed support for Atiku Abubakar after conducting an online poll in which Atiku emerged as the preferred candidate among respondents.

Dantani stressed that Hikima’s position was personal and did not represent an official adoption of Atiku by TMG.

He said the movement’s position remained that opposition politicians should first unite and produce a common candidate.

If they failed to do so, he said, Nigerians should be allowed to choose among the opposition contenders.

Dantani said his reluctance to endorse a particular opposition candidate was also informed by his background as a human rights activist.

“I respect the provision of the Constitution. I respect people’s opinion and I respect people’s views,” he said.