The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday went ahead with a nationwide protest against rising insecurity and deteriorating economic conditions after last-minute talks between its leadership and President Bola Tinubu failed to stop the action.
Members of the NLC assembled early at the Labour House in Abuja, where the union’s president, Joe Ajaero, led the protest alongside civil society activists, including Omoyele Sowore of the Revolution Now Movement.
Similar demonstrations were held in Lagos, where protesters converged in Ikeja, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding urgent government action to curb kidnappings and violent crimes.
The protest followed a meeting between President Tinubu and the NLC leadership on Tuesday night, convened in an effort to avert the demonstration. However, Ajaero told journalists that the engagement did not resolve the issues raised by the union.
The NLC subsequently proceeded with the action earlier announced after its National Executive Council meeting on December 4, 2025.
Addressing journalists during the Abuja protest, an NLC member expressed anger over the scale of violent crimes across the country, saying, “Any kidnapper should be sentenced to death… They should kill them immediately.”
The union said the protest was prompted by a surge in insecurity, including mass abductions and killings, which it argued had continued despite repeated appeals to authorities.
In particular, the NLC cited the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State on November 17, during which two staff members were killed.
The NEC condemned what it described as the withdrawal of security personnel ahead of the attack and called for accountability.
Beyond insecurity, the NLC said the demonstration also reflected broader labour grievances, including unresolved agreements with the Federal Government, the rising cost of living, and the impact of insecurity on workers’ safety, productivity and livelihoods.
The union noted that teachers, farmers, miners and other workers had been among those killed or displaced in attacks across several states.
In a communiqué issued by its NEC, the NLC said, “The surge in kidnappings targeting schoolchildren has reached an alarming and unacceptable level,” adding that the protest was intended to mobilise public opinion and compel authorities to prioritise security and governance reforms.
The union stressed that the demonstrations were peaceful and lawful. In a notice circulated to its state chapters on December 10, the NLC urged members to conduct themselves responsibly, describing the action as constitutionally protected.
Police officers were deployed to protest locations in Abuja and Lagos. The NLC said it had formally notified security agencies in advance and called on them to protect citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly. “Solidarity is our shield,” the union said.
