* City Boy Movement says protest politically motivated
By Olawumi Oyehan
The organisers of protests in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Sunday urged Nigerians to come out en masse on Monday to continue the protest that started last week Thursday.
The protest that was organised by Very Dark Man and Omoyele Sowore with #Tinubumustgo, urged Nigerians to come out.
The protesters, who are demanding improved security, blocked a bridge on Karu-Nyanya expressway, which links Nasarawa and Abuja, on Saturday.
Wielding placards and chanting anti-government songs, they demanded that the government wake up to its responsibility of protecting lives.
They first converged on a bridge in the axis before marching towards Nyanya.
Meanwhile, the pro-President Tinubu group, City Boys Movement, in their statement at the weekend accused the protesters as a politically sponsored action aimed at intimidating its members and provoking confrontation.
The group made the allegation in a statement by its Deputy Director-General for Media, Communications and Public Affairs, O’tega Ogra, following the protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the movement, the demonstrators claimed to be protesting insecurity in the country, but their actions suggested a political agenda.
“We will not dress this up. What happened at our office was not a genuine protest. It was a sponsored political action aimed at provoking confrontation, intimidating our members, and pinning a false narrative on the City Boy Movement,” the statement said.
The organization acknowledged that insecurity remains a serious national concern but argued that the Federal Government has continued to take steps to address the challenge.
The movement cited President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day address, in which he warned terrorists and other criminal elements to surrender or face decisive action from the state.
“This government has acted, is acting, and will continue to act. On this same day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the nation and told those terrorising our people in plain language: ‘surrender, or face the full force of the Nigerian State. The window of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,’” the statement noted.
The group also referenced government claims that terror-related deaths had declined significantly in recent years and pointed to increased budgetary allocations for defence and security.
It maintained that portraying the government as inactive on security issues was misleading.
”So when people show up at our gate, on a day like this, pretending nothing is being done, we know exactly what we are looking at. That is not concern. That is politics. And bad politics at that,” it stated.
The City Boy Movement further alleged that one of the individuals present during the protest was captured in a video calling for its property to be set ablaze.
According to the organization, the footage has been preserved and will be handed over to security agencies for investigation.
“In video footage from today’s incident, one of the individuals present was heard calling for our property to be set on fire. That is not protest. That is a threat of arson,” the statement said.
The group stressed that while it supports the constitutional right of citizens to engage in peaceful protest, such rights should not be used to threaten others or disrupt lawful activities
”Your right to peaceful protest is guaranteed. Nobody disputes that. But what happened today was not peaceful in any meaningful sense,” it added.
The organisation said it had notified relevant authorities of the incident and would continue to cooperate with security agencies to protect its members, staff, visitors and property.
It also urged young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be manipulated by individuals seeking to exploit public concerns for political purposes.
The City Boy Movement reaffirmed its support for the Tinubu administration and insisted it would not be intimidated or distracted by what it described as political harassment disguised as protest.