Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, has come under criticism over comments in which he threatened political opponents with punishment if they refused to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Buba, a known ally of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, made the remarks at a campaign inauguration organised by the Tinubu City Boy Movement.
The City Boy Movement is a political support group and grassroots mobilization organization. It is dedicated to promoting the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and securing his re-election. 
The phrase “City Boy” is a popular political moniker originally given to Tinubu, from his time as the former Governor of Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the country.
Speaking at the event, the commissioner said, “Whoever shows us a finger, we are ready to cut off his fingers.”
He further warned those who opposed the government, saying: “We are now playing politics. Whoever shows us a finger, we will show him a finger. Whoever dares to show us a finger again, we will break his finger. The government is our government. Those who follow us will enjoy the honey; if you refuse, then you will be flogged.”
The remarks have raised concerns over the language used by a serving government official, particularly amid allegations of intimidation, human rights abuses and the use of state institutions against young people in Borno State.
There have also been allegations that some youths were subjected to intimidation and prolonged detention through the justice system in Tandari. Other claims have alleged that executive powers were used against young people, with some reportedly fleeing the state and seeking refuge in Algeria.
The allegations have not been independently established and require proper investigation by the relevant authorities.
However, Buba’s comments have renewed questions about the treatment of political dissent and opposition in the state.
Critics argue that a government official threatening to “break” the fingers of those who oppose or challenge the government creates an atmosphere of intimidation and could undermine citizens’ constitutional rights.
According to critics, the remarks raise broader questions about whether political loyalty is becoming a condition for citizens to enjoy their rights and whether disagreement with those in power is being treated as an offence.
Electoral violence, inflammatory rhetoric and severe security threats have heavily characterised recent Nigerian elections.
The highly publicised incident involving Senator Francis Fadahunsi in Osun State is one example of the concerns surrounding the use of threatening language during election campaigns.
During the buildup to the Osun State Governorship Election, Fadahunsi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Osun East, became embroiled in controversy after a video emerged in which he appeared to instruct APC supporters to “kill” members of the rival Accord Party while addressing a campaign rally in Ilesa.
He also reportedly referred to the violent political crisis of 1983 in the former Western Region, including the burning of an opposition candidate’s family home.
The remarks generated widespread outrage and prompted the Osun State Police Command to summon the senator for questioning. In a letter signed by Samuel Erale, the Commissioner of Police for election duties, the police described the senator’s statements as “threatening, inciting, and intimidating in nature.”
Fadahunsi honoured the invitation and appeared at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo. He denied calling for physical violence, arguing that his words had been deliberately manipulated and that their meaning had been distorted because he spoke in Yoruba.
He maintained that when he said supporters should “kill Accord,” he meant they should defeat the party with their votes at the ballot box, not physically attack its members.
Despite the controversy and police invitation, there was no reported prosecution or punitive action against the senator beyond the questioning.
Civil society organisations, including ActionAid Nigeria, subsequently condemned what they described as the normalisation of impunity surrounding inflammatory electoral rhetoric.
The Fadahunsi controversy is part of a broader pattern of politically charged threats and inflammatory statements that have accompanied Nigerian elections, often with limited consequences for those responsible.
Ahead of the 2023 Lagos State governorship election, for instance, APC chieftain Musiliu ‘MC Oluomo’ Akinsanya was criticised after warning Igbo voters in a widely circulated video: “If you know you won’t vote for us, stay at home.”
The remarks attracted condemnation amid concerns about voter intimidation, but no significant legal action followed.
Similarly, ahead of the 2019 general elections, then-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai warned foreign election observers on live television that anyone who came to interfere in Nigeria’s electoral process would “go back in body bags.”
El-Rufai later defended the statement as a warning against interference in Nigeria’s sovereignty, but it did not result in prosecution.
