•Threatens nationwide strike over alleged plot to attack protesters

From Bimbola Oyesola and Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will today hold a nationwide protest against the escalating wave of insecurity across the country, calling on Nigerians to rise in defence of their lives, livelihoods and collective dignity.

The protest, described as a “watershed moment” is scheduled to hold simultaneously in all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the decision to stage the National Day of Protest and Mourning was reached at the last meeting of the NLC National Executive Council (NEC), where labour leaders expressed concern over what they described as the “burden, losses and dislocation” suffered daily by Nigerian workers and citizens due to persistent violence, kidnappings and killings.

According to the Congress, the planned action is a protest in solidarity with the Nigerian people whose lives have been torn apart by insecurity, and a demand that government at all levels take urgent and decisive steps to halt the drift.

“This protest is a demand for justice for Nigerians, particularly workers whose lives have been devastated by the scourge of insecurity,” the NLC said.

The labour centre stressed that the demonstration is aimed at changing what it called the “ugly and unacceptable narrative” of insecurity in the country.

It said governments must be reminded of their primary and constitutional responsibility to protect the lives and property of all citizens, rather than offering excuses and empty rhetoric.

Upah, said Nigerian workers have reached a breaking point. “By this protest, Nigerian workers are saying enough of the excuses and rhetoric. We want to see action.”

He added that the growing sense of abandonment felt by ordinary Nigerians must end. “We want to see the lives of ordinary Nigerians begin to count as precious as the lives of our so-called elites,” Upah said, reflecting widespread public frustration over perceived inequality in state protection.

The NLC also linked insecurity to deeper governance and socio-economic failures, calling for fundamental reforms to address injustice, poverty and exclusion, which it described as key triggers of violence across the country. Labour leaders insist that without tackling these root causes, insecurity will continue to fester.

A major demand of the protest, the Congress said, is the exposure and prosecution of all sponsors of violence in Nigeria.

According to the NLC, impunity has emboldened criminal networks and undermined public confidence in the state’s ability to deliver justice.

As part of the nationwide action, workers are expected to formally present protest letters to heads of state institutions across the three arms and tiers of government. The NLC said this is intended to ensure that the demands of Nigerians are officially received and cannot be ignored.

Emphasising its long-standing tradition, the Congress assured Nigerians that the protest will be peaceful and orderly. “Our protest, as usual, will be peaceful,” the statement said, noting that labour remains committed to non-violence and civic engagement.

The NLC has therefore called on all peace-loving Nigerians, civil society groups and community organisations to join the protest in what it described as a collective effort to reclaim national dignity and sanity from the grip of fear and violence.

Labour leaders believe that the strength of the protest lies in unity, insisting that a mass turnout will send a clear and powerful message to those in authority. “Together, we can echo to the powers that be that enough is enough,” NLC said.

Analysts say the planned protest reflects growing public anger over insecurity and could mark a significant moment in civic mobilisation, as labour seeks to channel widespread frustration into a coordinated national action.

NLC urged Nigerians not to remain silent in the face of daily bloodshed and fear, but to stand up collectively and demand a safer, more just country where every life truly matters.

Meanwhile, NLC has threatened to declare an immediate and indefinite nationwide strike if any protester is attacked during protest.

In a statement by Upah, NLC said it had received credible and disturbing intelligence indicating plans by “unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings” to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful protest.

The labour centre described any attempt to harm protesters as “an act of terrorism,” insisting that workers’ demonstrations were a legitimate response to worsening insecurity across the country.

According to the NLC, the protest is aimed at drawing attention to the rising cases of killings, kidnappings and abductions, which it said have claimed the lives of many workers, including teachers, farmers, miners and artisans.

The labour body called on the Nigeria Police to ensure the protection of protesters, stressing that security agencies had been formally informed about the protest and its peaceful nature.

The statement read in part: “Let this be understood by those who occupy the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, cause mayhem, and create a pretext for violent repression. We name this plot for what it is, a further enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens. We issue a stern and final warning to the purveyors of this act: DESIST IMMEDIATELY. Call off your hoodlums as any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be considered a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies. The Police, having been informed of our protests and its dynamics must act to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves. The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed. To all the working people of Nigeria, the unemployed, the students, the traders, and all victims of insecurity, we alert you to this insidious plot. Do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined, and massive. Solidarity is our shield. Here is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council: Should a single worker, comrade, or citizen be harmed by these thugs or through escalated repression tomorrow, the “Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike.

All wheels of production, all services, and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely. When the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against their failure, they unwittingly reveal their truly undemocratic tendencies. The message must be clear and without equivocation; any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown.”