NDC Demands Suspension, Resignation of Lagos CP Over City Boy Movement Event Attendance

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate suspension and sanction of Tijani Fatai, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, over his attendance at what the opposition party described as a partisan political event promoting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections. The controversy erupted after viral videos circulated on social media showing Fatai arriving at the inauguration of the Lagos State Executive Committee of the City Boy Movement, which was held on Tuesday at Marcellina’s Place in Ikeja GRA, drawing significant attention from political observers and members of the public who questioned the propriety of a senior police officer attending such a gathering. The event, which drew political leaders, traditional rulers, local government chairmen, youth leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), marked the formal launch of the movement’s Lagos chapter, signalling the group’s intent to expand its influence in the state ahead of the 2027 elections. The group, founded as a campaign platform during the 2023 presidential election, has since grown into a nationwide youth-focused political advocacy organisation promoting President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda while mobilising grassroots support for his anticipated 2027 re-election campaign, making it a clearly partisan entity in the eyes of the opposition.

Speaking at the event, Lagos State Coordinator of the City Boy Movement and Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Moyosore Ogunlewe, said the initiative was designed to mobilise and empower young Nigerians to become more actively involved in governance and national development, emphasising the importance of youth participation in shaping the country’s political future. National Director-General Tosin Shoga described the inauguration as another milestone in expanding youth participation in politics and supporting the Tinubu administration’s policies at the grassroots, while South-West Coordinator Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala charged members to serve as worthy ambassadors, citing a regional vote target of “eight million votes” for Tinubu in 2027. Other dignitaries at the event included Amir Kashim Shettima Jnr., Moremi Ojudu (Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement), and Hon. Abdullahi Tanko Yakassai (SSA North-West), alongside veteran singer 9ice, who performed his hit song “Street Credibility” to entertain guests, adding a celebratory atmosphere to the political gathering.

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Reacting in a post on X, the NDC condemned Fatai’s presence at the gathering, describing it as inappropriate and partisan, and expressing alarm that a senior police officer would associate himself so openly with a political movement. “We condemn in the strongest terms the appearance of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani, at a partisan event promoting a particular candidate in the upcoming general election,” the opposition party wrote, signalling their displeasure with the commissioner’s conduct. “We understand that the rudderless APC-led administrations have no iota of respect for our institutions, but seeing a Commissioner of Police at a partisan event can only point to one thing: He will be biased in the discharge of his duties during the elections.” The NDC further urged the Police High Command to take disciplinary action against the commissioner, stating, “We therefore demand that the Nigeria Police authorities immediately suspend and sanction the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani.” The party also called on the police to publicly commit to neutrality during the elections and ensure equal protection for supporters of all political parties, regardless of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation, emphasising the importance of maintaining public trust in the security apparatus. “Finally, we demand that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police tender his resignation immediately for denigrating the institution of the Police,” the party added, taking the strongest possible stance against what they view as a breach of professional conduct. As of the time of filing this report, neither the Lagos State Police Command nor the Force Headquarters had issued an official response to the allegations, leaving the matter unresolved amid growing public scrutiny.

How Buhari’s “Indifference” Fueled Banditry, Kidnapping in Nigeria — Ex-DSS Director

A former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has accused the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari of fuelling the escalation of banditry, kidnapping and insurgency across Nigeria through what he described as government indifference, widespread corruption, and secret ransom payments to criminal groups. Amachree made the explosive claims in his newly released memoir, “DSS@40: My Journey Behind the Shield,” which he presented during the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the DSS, offering a rare insider’s view of frontline security operations spanning decades and providing an unflinching assessment of Nigeria’s security architecture under civilian and military administrations.

According to the former intelligence chief, the period of Buhari’s presidency was a critical time when security threats metastasised, yet the administration failed to respond effectively despite repeated warnings and increasing attacks on communities across the North-West, North-East, North-Central and other parts of the country. “The period of the Muhammadu Buhari administration is viewed as a critical time when security threats metastasized, and government indifference became palpable,” Amachree wrote in his memoir. “Despite being a former military general, the administration was perceived as doing ‘little or nothing’ about the escalating threats of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping. This lack of effective response fueled the perception of a clueless leadership that did not understand or care about democratic governance.” The former DSS director said the situation created profound frustration among citizens who felt abandoned as attacks by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers continued across several states, with communities left to defend themselves against heavily armed criminals.

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The former DSS director also criticised some of Buhari’s public comments during his time in office, saying they deepened public dissatisfaction at a period when many Nigerians were already struggling with economic hardship and insecurity. He specifically referenced the former president’s remark describing Nigerian youths as “lazy” during international trips, stating that such comments “added insult to the injury of widespread unemployment” and “further alienated a massive segment of the population who felt abandoned by the government.” Beyond what he described as weak responses to insecurity, Amachree accused top government officials of enabling the crisis through corruption and the payment of ransom to criminal groups, claiming that billions of naira were secretly paid to bandits in efforts to secure the release of kidnapped victims. He argued that such payments effectively financed terrorism and encouraged more abductions across the country, creating a vicious cycle where ransom payments became a primary source of funding for criminal networks. “The subsequent official denials, debunked by bandits such as Bello Turji, destroyed public faith and proved that the state was directly financing the threats it claimed it was fighting,” he wrote, pointing to the infamous bandit leader who publicly contradicted government claims about ransom payments.

Amachree further argued that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be viewed solely through ethnic or regional lenses, warning against the temptation to frame insecurity along simplistic communal lines. Instead, he said the larger problem lies within the political class, which he accused of prioritising personal interests above the welfare and security of ordinary citizens, thereby perpetuating the very conditions that allow criminality to thrive. “The true impediment to peace and stability is the political class, which refuses to allow citizens to pursue their daily lives in a stable environment,” Amachree stated. He added that while economic concerns and security threats continued to grow, many politicians operated with what he described as “reckless abandon,” prioritising personal interests over national stability and confirming their role as “the ultimate threat to social cohesion and security.”

During his presidency, Buhari consistently defended his administration’s efforts against terrorism and banditry, insisting that security agencies were working tirelessly to defeat criminal groups operating across the country. In August 2021, amid growing criticism over rising attacks by armed groups, Buhari rejected allegations that his government was soft on bandits and terrorists, arguing that those accusing him of applying double standards were being unfair to his administration’s efforts. “I’m also dealing with bandits in the language they understand,” Buhari said during an interview at the time, maintaining that security agencies had been directed to intensify operations against criminal elements threatening national security. On another occasion, Buhari vowed that armed bandits would not be spared, directly instructing military personnel to pursue and eliminate those responsible for attacks on communities. “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I believe you are capable of doing it. I don’t think you should spare any bandit. Identify and eliminate them. Pursue them anywhere you can find them and eliminate them,” he declared. The former president also repeatedly assured Nigerians that terrorism, kidnapping and banditry would eventually be defeated, proclaiming in an Easter message while still in office that “under my watch, the nation will triumph over them – terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and the like.”