The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it will declare an immediate and indefinite nationwide strike if any act of violence occurs during its ongoing National Day of Protest and Mourning over worsening insecurity in the country.
The labour union raised the alarm on Wednesday, alleging a clandestine plot by “unscrupulous agencies and political hirelings” to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful protest organised by workers to draw attention to Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
In a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC said it had received “credible and disturbing intelligence” from its community networks indicating plans to deploy armed thugs against workers and other citizens participating in the demonstration.
According to the union, the protest is not politically motivated but a response to the escalating wave of kidnappings, abductions and killings across the country, which it described as evidence of government indifference or weakness.
“These protests are a necessary and legitimate response to the reign of terror unleashed on our nation,” the statement said, describing the action as “a collective act of grief and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security.”
Upah noted that workers across various sectors—including teachers, farmers, miners and artisans—have been among the victims of the prevailing insecurity, stressing that the Congress would not tolerate any attempt to silence peaceful dissent through violence.
He warned those allegedly behind the plot to desist immediately, stating that any attack on protesters would be regarded as a direct assault on the Nigerian working class.
The NLC also reminded security agencies of their constitutional responsibility to protect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression, noting that the police had been duly informed of the protest.
While urging participants to remain calm, disciplined and united, the Congress issued a final warning that if any worker or citizen is harmed, it will shut down all sectors of the national economy through a comprehensive and indefinite strike.
“Any attack on our protest is an attack on the very engine of Nigeria,” the NLC said, warning that repression of peaceful protest would only deepen the nation’s crisis.
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