Five men have been arrested in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for allegedly wearing T-shirts displaying the message, “Tinubu Must Go.”
Amnesty International disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Tuesday, identifying those detained as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
The human rights organisation criticised the arrests, arguing that wearing a T-shirt carrying a political message does not constitute a criminal offence. It maintained that expressing opposition to a government or political position falls within the protection of fundamental human rights.
Amnesty called for the immediate and unconditional release of the five men and urged the authorities to abandon any alleged plan to prosecute them on what it described as unfounded charges.
“The right to show and express political opinion is not exclusive to only one political party.
“Borno State Government and the police have increasingly been carrying out repressive arrests and detentions targeting opposition political parties and their supporters,” it said.
The organisation further alleged that authorities in Borno State were employing legal measures to suppress peaceful political expression and restrict opposition voices.
It urged the administration of Governor Babagana Zulum to refrain from taking action against individuals for peacefully expressing dissent or using government institutions against political opponents.
Amnesty also called on the authorities to protect the rights of citizens to freedom of expression and association while ensuring that the rule of law is respected.
