Maiduguri Court Approves Bail for Five Held Over #TinubuMustGo Apparel

A Magistrate's Court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has approved bail for five individuals taken into custody because of shirts carrying the #TinubuMustGo message. The five were first detained on September 25, 2026, in Maiduguri, a case that prompted broad discussion about free speech and political tolerance in Borno State. The Borno State Police Command said the suspects faced accusations including inciting disturbance, breaching public peace, thuggery and drug possession. Police stated that officers found 15 wraps of a substance suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets believed to be D5, a shisha pot, scissors and two of the T-shirts at the center of the dispute. Critics quickly alleged that law enforcement was going after peaceful demonstrators because of their political opinions. The police command strongly rejected that claim. The command said it operates without political bias and added that the matter was sent to the courts so that due process could be observed. Barrister Alkali Askira, who leads the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Garki branch, verified that the suspects had been granted bail. Askira defended the basic right to express oneself freely, but also advised young people to obey the law and steer clear of conduct that could unintentionally bring them into conflict with legal authorities. The defendants' relatives expressed gratitude to the legal team for supporting their children and urged youths across the state to comply with the law.