Borno Governor Defends Arrests Over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts; ADC Demands Answers

MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA — Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has strongly defended the recent arrest and detention of five residents who wore “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts, warning that his administration will not stand by and watch the state descend into lawlessness and conflict.

The governor’s justification has drawn a fierce reaction from the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is now demanding transparency and questioning the government’s commitment to basic democratic rights.

Addressing the situation in a speech in Hausa, Governor Zulum connected the symbolic apparel to broader threats of violence, claiming the T-shirts displayed aggressive imagery.

“You put it in writing on the singlet. You wear a T-shirt showing a sign of arms and knives. You wear the singlet and move around claiming to belong to a particular group,” Zulum stated.

Expressing deep concern over the state’s security trajectory, the governor warned that failure to act would render the state uninhabitable. He lamented a breakdown of order in certain sectors, noting, “You cannot enter some areas around 11 o’clock.”
“I swear, if we stand by and watch these things happen without taking actions… this town will not remain habitable if this continues,” Zulum warned. “We have seen people being destroyed, and we are witnessing these things, including women being affected, right before our eyes.”

Zulum further blamed political interference for shielding troublemakers, vowing that his administration would crack down on those disrupting public peace, even if it requires unannounced measures.

“People will be killed. But today, because of politics, someone will say, ‘Leave our boys alone,’ even when our own people are responsible for what is happening,” he said. “There are measures we will take without necessarily announcing them to anyone. Anyone we catch will be arrested and detained.”

Suspects Face Criminal Charges

Following the crackdown, authorities identified the five detained men as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed.

The individuals have been formally charged under the Borno State Penal Code (Sections 60, 78, 79, and 392). The charges leveled against them include criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, and thuggery.

ADC Slams Crackdown on Dissent

The arrests have triggered a swift backlash from the ADC. In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communications for the campaign council, the opposition party challenged Governor Zulum to reconcile his actions with previous denials of suppressing dissent.

“A viral video now circulating, in which Governor Babagana Zulum speaks in Hausa and orders the arrest and detention of anyone caught expressing ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ raises grave questions about his respect for citizens’ democratic rights,” Shaibu said.

The ADC urged the Borno State Government to clarify its stance on free speech, adding, “He must explain the fresh video and reconcile its contents with that denial. Nigerians deserve clarity, not contradictory messages about whether peaceful critics will be arrested.”

As tensions rise between state-enforced security measures and the right to peaceful protest, the Zulum administration maintains that maintaining hard-won peace in Borno remains its absolute priority.