City Boy Movement Defends Lagos CP’s Presence at Inauguration of State Chapter

The City Boy Movement has defended the presence of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police at the inauguration of its Lagos State chapter, insisting that the police chief’s attendance should not be interpreted as political endorsement or evidence of institutional bias.

The group stated this in a press statement signed by its National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response, Bashir Ahmad, on Thursday, following public reactions and commentaries linking the police commissioner’s attendance at the event to partisan politics.

According to the statement, the movement said it was necessary to clarify misconceptions arising from the incident, stressing that the police commissioner’s presence was in line with the constitutional responsibilities of the Nigeria Police Force to maintain law and order at public gatherings.

“For the avoidance of doubt, 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,” the statement read.

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The organisation explained that senior public officers, particularly those responsible for security, routinely attend or deploy personnel to public events in the discharge of their official duties.

It noted that such responsibilities extend to political, civic, religious, professional, educational and community gatherings where security considerations require their presence, adding that attendance at such events does not amount to support or affiliation with any organisation.

The movement further maintained that the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the Nigeria Police Force include preserving public peace, protecting lives and property, preventing and detecting crime, and maintaining law and order during lawful 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,” it stated.

The City Boy Movement argued that it was “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,” urging the public to assess institutions based on facts rather than speculation.

The group also reaffirmed its respect for the constitutional role and institutional independence of security agencies, saying it neither sought nor expected preferential treatment from any arm of government.

“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,” the statement added.

The movement commended the security agencies for ensuring that the inauguration was conducted peacefully and without incident.

It said, “We equally acknowledge and appreciate the professional security arrangements that ensured the peaceful, orderly and incident-free conduct of the inauguration. Professional policing contributes significantly to public confidence in democratic institutions and facilitates the exercise of citizens’ constitutional freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly.”

The group also called on members of the public, stakeholders and commentators to avoid spreading misinformation or drawing conclusions without credible evidence.

“We therefore urge members of the public, stakeholders and commentators to exercise restraint, promote factual discourse and refrain from attributing partisan motives where no credible evidence exists,” it said.