Amnesty demands release of five men arrested over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts

Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of five men arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, for allegedly wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go.”

The men identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were reportedly arrested over the shirts expressing opposition to President Bola Tinubu

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the rights organisation condemned the arrests, saying the expression of political dissent through clothing should not constitute a criminal offence.

Amnesty said the right to express political opinions is protected under the rights to freedom of expression and association, adding that such rights should apply regardless of political affiliation.

“The right to show and express political opinion is not exclusive to only one political party,” the organisation said.

It called on the authorities to release the five men unconditionally and drop any charges that may have been brought against them in connection with the T-shirts.

Amnesty also alleged that the Borno State Government and the police had increasingly targeted opposition parties and their supporters through arrests and detention.

The organisation urged the state government and security agencies to respect citizens’ rights to peaceful expression and association, while calling on them to uphold the rule of law and refrain from using state powers to suppress political dissent.