The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the progressive civil society in Nigeria are in mourning following the death of renowned activist Abiodun Aremu.

A key figure in the Labour Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and Joint Action Front (JAF), Aremu was killed on Sunday evening by a hit-and-run driver in Ifo, Ogun State.

In a statement released yesterday, the NLC described Aremu as a “titan of the class struggle, an organic intellectual of the working people, and an unwavering internationalist whose life was a testament to unalloyed commitment to the cause of the oppressed.”

NLC President Joe Ajaero stated that Aremu’s political life was a “seamless fusion of revolutionary theory and concrete praxis, dedicated to the emancipation of the working class and the construction of an egalitarian, socialist society.”

Ajaero expressed concern over the circumstances of Aremu’s death, calling the “hit-and-run” incident a “sinister pattern,” drawing parallels to the suspicious death of another comrade, Patrick Naagbanton.

The NLC president demanded an immediate, transparent, and thorough investigation by both federal and state governments into the incident.

“We cannot, and will not, accept this as a mere accident. The Nigerian state must dispel the foul odour surrounding his death by apprehending the perpetrator and revealing the full truth. The working class deserves answers,” Ajaero said.

He further added, “The greatest tribute we can pay to this fearless teacher is to immortalise him not just in tears, but in action. We must recommit to the ideals he lived and died for: the relentless struggle against exploitation, the ideological clarity of the left, and the building of a mass movement capable of acquiring power for the people. We also enjoin all to remember and support the family he has left behind, who shared with him the struggle.”

The NLC has urged allies and Nigerians to gather in Ifo, Ogun State, on October 23 for a “befitting, ideological burial” for Aremu.