By Faith Chondol
Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the arrest and detention of five men by the Nigeria Police in Maiduguri, Borno State, over their alleged display of “Tinubu Must Go” messages on T-shirts.
In a statement release through it’s official Facebook Page, the rights organisation identified those detained as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
Amnesty said the five men were arrested in connection with the wearing of T-shirts bearing the political message and were subsequently remanded in prison.
The organisation said authorities accused the men of intending to cause “breach of public peace within West End Roundabout Community Maiduguri,” describing the allegation as an inappropriate basis for criminalising peaceful political expression.
Amnesty argued that expressing political opposition through a message on clothing falls within the right to freedom of expression and called for the immediate release of the five men and the withdrawal of what it described as unfounded charges.
“The right to show and express political opinion is not exclusive to only one political party,” the organisation said.
Amnesty further alleged that the Borno State Government and police had increasingly targeted opposition political parties and their supporters through arrests and detention.
The organisation urged the administration of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum to respect freedom of expression and association, uphold the rule of law and refrain from actions that could suppress peaceful political dissent.
The circumstances surrounding the arrests, the precise charges filed against the five men and the police’s response to Amnesty International’s allegations were not immediately provided in the statement.
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