Five men have reportedly been arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, for wearing T-shirts displaying the message, “Tinubu Must Go.”
Amnesty International disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, identifying the arrested men as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
The rights organisation condemned the arrests, arguing that wearing clothing carrying a political message does not in itself constitute a crime and that expressing political views is protected under fundamental rights.
Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of the five men and urged authorities to abandon any plan to prosecute them on what it described as unfounded charges.
The organisation said political expression should not be limited to members or supporters of a particular political party.
It further alleged that the Borno State Government and the police had increasingly targeted opposition parties and their supporters through arrests and detention.
Amnesty accused the authorities of using legal measures to suppress peaceful political dissent and called on Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration to respect freedom of expression and association.
The organisation also urged the authorities to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of residents to express their political opinions peacefully.
