City Boy Movement Claims Abuja Protest Was Orchestrated To Provoke Confrontation

The City Boy Movement (CBM) has alleged that the picketing of its headquarters in Abuja on Friday by a group claiming to protest insecurity was a politically sponsored action aimed at provoking confrontation and creating a false narrative against the organisation.

In a statement signed by its Deputy Director-General for Media, Communications and Public Affairs, O’tega Ogra, the movement dismissed the protest as lacking genuine concern over national security challenges, insisting it was orchestrated to intimidate its members.

“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,” Ogra said.

While acknowledging that insecurity remains a major national concern affecting families and communities across the country, the group said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was already taking decisive steps to address the challenge.

CBM referenced President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address, in which he warned terrorists to surrender or face “the full force of the Nigerian State,” adding that it fully supports the President’s position on national security.

The group also cited claims that terror-related deaths have declined significantly since 2015 and that more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised within the past year, while noting that the 2026 budget earmarked N5.41 trillion for defence and security, described as the largest allocation in Nigeria’s history.

CBM further alleged that one of the individuals captured in video footage from the incident made a call for its property to be set ablaze, describing the statement as a threat of arson.

It said the footage had been preserved and would be submitted to security agencies for investigation, warning that those involved would be held accountable under the law.

“Your right to peaceful protest is guaranteed. Nobody disputes that. But what happened today was not peaceful in any meaningful sense,” the statement added.

The movement maintained that while citizens have the constitutional right to protest, such rights must not be used to intimidate others or obstruct lawful political activity.

It also urged Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used by political actors, warning that ordinary citizens often suffer the consequences of such engagements.

Reaffirming its support for the Tinubu administration, the City Boy Movement said it would not be intimidated or distracted, adding that it remains committed to working with security agencies to protect its members and property.

The group concluded that while it remains open to constructive engagement, it would resist what it described as harassment, blackmail and politically motivated intimidation disguised as protest.