Amnesty International has condemned the reported detention of five men by the Borno State Police Command for wearing T-shirts inscribed “Tinubu Must Go” in Maiduguri, the state capital.
A statement attributed to the rights group, which circulated on social media on Tuesday, could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.
The statement named the men as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
It claimed they were remanded in prison after being accused of planning to cause a breach of the peace around the West-End Roundabout/Flyover area of Maiduguri.
According to the statement, wearing a T-shirt to express peaceful political dissent should not be a criminal offence, as opposition to those in power is part of fundamental human rights.
“Clearly, the intention of this reign of repression in Borno State appears to be the selective injustice to curtail the opposition in the political space,” the statement said.
It added: “It is sadly creating a toxic climate of fear, that is contrary to the democratic principles of freedom and justice.”
The organisation urged the authorities to release the men and drop what it described as a prosecution built on questionable charges.
It also stressed that the right to express political opinions should not be limited to supporters of any one political party.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, were unsuccessful as of press time.
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