A fresh dispute has erupted between Amnesty International and the Borno State Police Command over the arrest and prosecution of five men in Maiduguri who were found wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

While the police maintain that the men were not arrested simply because of the political message on their clothing and allege that they were involved in offences including public disturbance, thuggery and possession of suspected drugs, Amnesty International has rejected the explanation and called for their immediate release.

The five men are Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed. They were arrested in Maiduguri and subsequently arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court.

The police case centres on allegations that the men conspired to print and wear the T-shirts with the intention of causing a breach of public peace around the West End Roundabout area of Maiduguri.

In its latest clarification, the Borno Police Command said the prosecution was based on alleged criminal conduct beyond the inscription on the shirts. Police said the suspects were allegedly found with items including suspected illicit drugs and other materials.

The men face allegations including criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbing public peace and thuggery under provisions of the Borno State Penal Code. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

But Amnesty International has strongly challenged the police narrative.

The rights organisation said the drug allegation amounted to a fresh attempt to justify the continued detention of the men after the arrests attracted widespread public attention.

Amnesty insisted that political disagreement with the government does not, by itself, constitute a criminal offence and urged the authorities to release the five men unconditionally.

The organisation argued that citizens should be able to support or oppose political parties, candidates and governments without being subjected to arrest merely for expressing their views.

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It further accused the police and Borno State authorities of using criminal allegations to suppress peaceful political expression, describing the development as a threat to freedom of expression and civic participation.

The dispute comes as political activities intensify ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections, making the case particularly sensitive because of the political message displayed by the suspects.

However, the police have maintained that the political inscription was not the sole basis for the prosecution.

According to the police account contained in the First Information Report, the suspects allegedly acted together to produce the shirts and were accused of intending to cause a disturbance in the West End Roundabout community.

The case has therefore developed into two competing narratives: Amnesty views the arrests primarily through the lens of political expression and civil liberties, while the police maintain that the suspects face conventional criminal allegations in addition to the political message on their clothing.

The court proceedings are now expected to determine the immediate fate of the five men.

After they pleaded not guilty, their lawyers applied for bail. The court has fixed October 6, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application, while the substantive case has been adjourned until October 26, 2026.

Until the court determines the allegations, the claims against the defendants remain allegations and should not be treated as proof of guilt.

The case has nevertheless triggered a wider debate over the boundary between legitimate political expression and conduct that authorities may lawfully treat as a public-order offence, particularly as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 elections.