City Boy Movement Denies Political Motive Behind Lagos CP’s Presence
The City Boy Movement has defended the attendance of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, at the inauguration of its Lagos State chapter, insisting that his presence was in line with the routine security responsibilities of the Nigeria Police Force and not a political endorsement.
The clarification followed criticism and speculation on social media over the commissioner’s appearance at the event.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response of the City Boy Movement, Bashir Ahmad, said the presence of the police commissioner at the event should not be interpreted as partisan support or institutional alignment with the group.
“The mere presence of the Commissioner of Police at a public event should not, without more, be interpreted as political endorsement, partisan participation or institutional alignment with the organisers of that event,” Ahmad stated.
He explained that senior police officers regularly attend or deploy personnel to public gatherings, including political, civic, religious, educational and community events, as part of their constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order and protect lives and property.
According to him, such official engagements do not amount to support for or affiliation with any organisation.
Ahmad stressed that the Nigeria Police Force remains constitutionally obligated to provide security for lawful public assemblies without discrimination and urged the public not to misconstrue the commissioner’s attendance.
“It is neither fair nor accurate to infer, solely from the Commissioner’s attendance, that the Nigeria Police Force has taken a partisan position or abandoned its obligation of professional neutrality,” he said.
He added that the City Boy Movement respects the independence of security agencies and does not seek preferential treatment from any arm of government.
The group also commended the police and other security agencies for ensuring that the inauguration was conducted peacefully and without incident.
Ahmad urged Nigerians to promote fact-based public discourse and avoid speculation capable of undermining confidence in public institutions.
The statement comes amid reactions to viral videos from the event and criticism from opposition figures questioning the presence of the Lagos police commissioner at the gathering.
