•Nigerian workers
Nigerian workers through the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, have raised a fresh alarm over the alarming rise in insecurity across the country, warning that it will no longer fold its arms while criminal gangs terrorise citizens, abduct schoolchildren, and murder workers.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Lagos, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, declared that the nation is “under siege” and announced plans to declare a national day of mourning and mobilise workers for nationwide protests if urgent action is not taken.
The NLC condemned the latest school kidnapping incident, questioning why security personnel assigned to protect the institution were suddenly withdrawn shortly before gunmen struck, reports Vanguard.
The Congress said the development suggests a possible compromise within the security architecture and demanded a full-scale investigation to identify those responsible.
He said: “You can see the state of the nation, especially the growing insecurity. The NLC cannot stand idly by and allow criminals to take over our country — never again. Consequently, at the end of this NEC meeting, the NLC will take a strong stance. We want to understand what is happening and why security personnel assigned to guard a school were withdrawn, creating an opening for kidnappers to abduct students.
“We will insist — through nationwide protests if necessary — on knowing who gave that instruction. We want to know whether members of Nigeria’s security agencies, or their leadership, have been compromised. Never again shall we watch and allow kidnappers and bandits to overrun our country, demanding ransom and killing workers.
“The worker who was killed at the school was a teacher, and the students kidnapped are children of workers. Only God knows how many workers have been abducted, with ruthless demands for millions in ransom. We can no longer bear this; it is getting out of hand.
“The NLC will make a formal pronouncement, declare a national day of mourning for those affected, and call on the Nigerian government to secure everyone in this country and to identify and remove the bad elements within the security apparatus.
He said details of the planned national mourning and protests would be announced soon, stressing that Nigerians must unite to reclaim the country from kidnap syndicates and violent gangs.
Speaking further on national issues, Ajaero criticised the performance of the power sector, noting that current tariff increases have not led to improvements. He urged operators to ensure 24-hour power supply, recalling that Nigerians were told deregulation would solve the problem.
“But three years after, where are we?” he queried.
On the ongoing strikes in the education and health sectors, the NLC President urged the federal government to respect the sanctity of agreements, warning that the Congress would consider actions to ensure such agreements are honoured.
Ajaero also cautioned politicians against overheating the polity and urged them to obey the rules of the game.
In a major announcement, he declared that workers’ representatives in the Labour Party (LP) were being withdrawn, stating: “Those representing us in the LP will be withdrawn. They are not representing us well; they are there for their personal interests. I hereby withdraw all our representatives across the states.”
Also speaking, human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, raised concerns over the worsening insecurity in the country, warning that the country was in serious trouble given the alarming state of insecurity.
According to Falana, the gathering was taking place at a critical moment in Nigeria’s history — one marked by the kidnapping of schoolchildren and the burning and attack of churches due to rising insecurity.
He warned that calls for external military intervention pose serious risks to Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Falana condemned recent statements by President Donald Trump of US, saying it was unacceptable for any world leader to threaten Nigeria.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly to defend and protect citizens.
Falana also criticised U.S. political rhetoric on protecting Christians globally, arguing that such claims were inconsistent with America’s actions in conflict zones.
He questioned why foreign actors who claim to defend Christians abroad had failed to intervene in Nigerian states affected by religious violence if their intentions were truly genuine.
Falana insisted that Nigeria must avoid becoming entangled in prolonged foreign military engagements, citing America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan , the destabilisation of Libya and others as a warning about the instability such interventions can create.
He also referenced ongoing U.S. involvement in global conflicts, including support for Israel’s military operations in Gaza and alleged plans to intervene in Venezuela.
Decrying the rising death toll from insecurity, Falana called on labour unions, civil society groups, and concerned Nigerians to be ready to mobilise and resist any further deterioration of the country’s security situation.
“We want to let the world know that we are not a conquered people,” he said.
