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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Convener of the Arewa Think Tank (ATT), Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, has condemned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) nationwide protest against insecurity, describing the action as selfish and unpatriotic.
In a statement, Yakubu reminded Nigerians that the NLC stayed silent in 2017 when bandits slaughtered civilians across the North, “but it is now when the military has gained ground against terrorism, that the union has called for a shutdown.
“The NLC did not call for protests when bandits were killing people in the North in 2017. Now that the military is winning the war against terrorism, they go on strike. This is not fair in the eyes of right‑thinking Nigerians,” he said.
Citing the 2017 Sokoto massacre that left 76 dead in a single day, Yakubu noted that, “The North was not secure; it was the worst place to be in this country at that time, yet NLC did not protest, why now?”
The NLC, however, pledged a peaceful, orderly demonstration, urging civil‑society groups and ordinary citizens to join in “reclaiming national dignity and sanity from the grip of fear and violence.”
The union’s nationwide protest on Wednesday, followed a recent surge in kidnapping, banditry and terrorist attacks.
Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, called the action a “watershed moment” for Nigerians, whose lives had been shattered by violence, warning, “Enough of the excuses and rhetoric, we want action.”
However, beyond criticising the NLC, the Arewa Think Tank used the occasion to voice unequivocal support for President Bola Tinubu’s intensified fight against insecurity.
“President Tinubu has taken decisive steps to confront the criminal elements that threaten our communities,” Yakubu said. “His administration’s recent surge in military operations, coupled with community‑engagement programmes, has already yielded tangible improvements in safety for countless citizens.”
The group praised the President’s decision to deploy additional troops to the restive North‑West, the launch of a coordinated intelligence‑sharing platform and the allocation of emergency funds for displaced families.
“These measures demonstrate a clear commitment to addressing the root causes of conflict, poverty, unemployment and lack of access to basic services,” Yakubu added.
ATT called on all patriotic Nigerians to rally behind the President’s security strategy, urging the NLC and other labour groups to channel their concerns into constructive dialogue rather than disruptive strikes.
“The nation cannot afford to be divided while the enemy exploits our differences,” ATT warned.
The statement underscores a growing alignment among Northern civil‑society actors with the Federal Government’s determination to to end insecurity.
