Protest as police stop ‘Tinubu-Must-Go’ meeting in Kano

In Kano State, police intervened to prevent members of the 'Tinubu Must Go' (TMG) movement from attending their planned meeting, leading to protests from the organizers and condemnation from Amnesty International Nigeria and other stakeholders. This incident occurred two weeks after the arrest of five men in Maiduguri, Borno State, over the use of T-shirts bearing the inscription "Tinubu Must Go".

The men were arrested on September 25, 2026, and accused of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace, and thuggery. Amnesty International criticized the arrests as arbitrary and demanded the men's release, arguing that peaceful political expression should not be criminalized. The defendants' lawyers successfully obtained bail for all five men, with the substantive case scheduled for October 26, 2026.

Hikima, the movement's spokesman, claimed that heavily armed security operatives prevented them from accessing a private event center they had paid to use, alleging that the police were targeting them due to their opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. The police defended their actions, stating that they needed to ensure public safety and gather information about the event before providing security.

They cited a recent incident in Sabon Gari, Kano, where authorities intercepted weapons allegedly brought to a political gathering, which remains under investigation.