Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has warned that his administration will not tolerate actions capable of undermining peace and security in the state, amid renewed demonstrations by youths wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
Zulum said there would be consequences for people who, according to him, were using group identities, weapons and political activities to create unrest in Maiduguri.
The governor spoke in an interview in which he warned that authorities would take action against people he said were responsible for recent disturbances in the state.
“But 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 said.
He warned that continued inaction could make the state capital uninhabitable.
“I swear, if we stand by and watch these things happen without taking actions. I swear, this town will not remain habitable if this continues. I am telling you,” he said.
Zulum said some areas of the city had become difficult to access at night because of activities by groups he described as problematic.
“You cannot enter some area around 11 o’clock. Those people, we will deal with all of them within ten minutes. But because there is no unity and cooperation…” he said.
He also expressed concern over the impact of violence on residents, including women.
“We will see what happens in this town. We have seen people being destroyed, and we are witnessing these things, including women being affected, right before our eyes,” the governor said.
Zulum said political considerations should not prevent authorities from taking action against people responsible for violence or unrest.
“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.
The governor added that his administration would take action against those responsible for recent incidents.
“We will deal with those responsible for what has been happening here over the past five days,” he said.
He further warned that some measures would be taken without prior public announcement.
“That is why we will rise up and take action. There are measures we will take without necessarily announcing them to anyone. Anyone we catch will be arrested and detained,” Zulum said.
He stressed that his administration would not allow anyone to destabilise the state.
“We will not tolerate anyone who wants to undermine peace in Borno. This is not about me personally. We will not allow anyone to instigate another conflict, attack others, or cause unrest,” he said.
Zulum also questioned the effectiveness of past protests and urged those interested in politics to pursue their ambitions through democratic means.
“What was achieved through all these acts of protest that were done years ago?” he asked.
“What has violence achieved? If you want to contest an election, go ahead. If you want to engage in politics, do politics, but…”
The governor’s comments come days after five men were arrested and arraigned in Maiduguri over T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
The five men, identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were charged with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
They pleaded not guilty, while their bail application is expected to be ruled on October 6. The substantive case has been fixed for October 26.
The arrests have generated controversy, with opposition groups and rights activists questioning whether the men were being prosecuted over the political message on their clothing.
The Borno State Police Command, however, has denied arresting the men simply because they wore anti-Tinubu shirts.
The police said they were apprehended during a routine patrol around West End Roundabout in Maiduguri and that officers allegedly recovered 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, a shisha pot, scissors and two T-shirts bearing the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.
The police said the suspects were arrested over allegations of inciting disturbance, breach of public peace, thuggery and possession of suspected illicit drugs.
The ADC, however, rejected the police account, alleging that the youths had obtained clearance from the police and the Department of State Services to hold a peaceful gathering at its secretariat around West End Roundabout.
Zulum had previously denied ordering the arrest of the five men or any opposition politicians, saying he was not aware of the arrests and that his focus remained on rebuilding Borno after years of Boko Haram insurgency.
The latest comments, however, come as dozens of youths have again appeared in Maiduguri wearing white T-shirts with the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription. SaharaReporters reported that the youths were seen marching together in a video circulating on X, days after the five men were arrested.
The fresh demonstration was seen as a show of solidarity with those arrested and a renewed expression of opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections. The circumstances surrounding the gathering, including whether it had obtained formal approval from security agencies, could not immediately be independently established.
The controversy over the arrests has continued to attract criticism, with Amnesty International and other political figures questioning the prosecution of the men.
The case has also prompted a petition by lawyer and rights activist Hamza N. Dantani to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, calling for a review of the arrests and prosecution and alleging possible selective enforcement of the law by the Borno Police Command.
