The City Boy Movement has reacted to the backlash that greeted the presence of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, at the inauguration of its Lagos State chapter on Tuesday.
DAILY POST reports that a video circulating on social media sparked widespread reactions after it showed the CP attending the inauguration of the City Boy Movement’s Lagos State Chapter Executive Committee.
The footage, which went viral on Wednesday, captured the CP arriving at the event venue in Ikeja.
In the video, the Lagos Police boss was seen exchanging pleasantries with dignitaries attending the inauguration and walking through the gathering alongside other attendees and security personnel.
The development raised concerns over the CP’s alleged involvement in partisan politics, especially as the 2027 general elections draw near.
Reacting, the City Boy Movement, in a statement by its National Director, Media Monitoring & Rapid Response, Bashir Ahmad, said 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.”
According to Bashir, “Public officers, particularly those charged with maintaining law and order, regularly attend or deploy personnel to public gatherings in the discharge of their official responsibilities. Such responsibilities extend to political, civic, religious, professional, educational and community events where security considerations require their presence or supervision.
“Their attendance at such events, standing alone, does not constitute support for, affiliation with or endorsement of any organisation or cause.
“The constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the Nigeria Police Force include the preservation of public peace, the protection of lives and property, the prevention and detection of crime, and the maintenance of law and order during lawful public assemblies.
“These responsibilities are owed equally to all persons and organisations without discrimination and should not be misconstrued as evidence of institutional bias or political preference.
“Accordingly, 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. Public institutions should be assessed on the basis of objective facts rather than conjecture or speculation.
“The City Boy Movement respects the constitutional role and institutional independence of all security agencies. We neither seek nor expect preferential treatment from any agency of government.
“Like every law-abiding organisation, we expect only that our lawful activities will continue to enjoy the protection guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other applicable laws.”
City Boy Movement opens up on presence of Commissioner of Police at its inauguration in Lagos