The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the nationwide protests and strike action embarked upon by members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), describing the move as a justified response to the increasing wave of kidnappings and attacks targeting teachers and students across the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed solidarity with teachers participating in the industrial action, saying the union could no longer remain silent in the face of persistent insecurity affecting educational institutions and vulnerable workers.
According to Ajaero, the coordinated action by teachers reflects growing frustration over repeated cases of abduction involving educators and schoolchildren in different parts of Nigeria.
“The national and well-coordinated action represents the resolve of Teachers to take their destiny into their own hands instead of waiting to be slaughtered to the last person,” the NLC president stated.
He described the strike as a peaceful but powerful message to governments at all levels, urging authorities to treat the nation’s worsening security challenges with greater urgency.
“The action equally represents a gentle but unignorable nudge on the governments to take more seriously the growing insecurity industry,” Ajaero said.
The labour leader also commended the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers for organising the nationwide action, praising the union for standing up for the safety and welfare of its members.
“We commend the leadership of the NUT, led by Comrade Titus Audu Amba, for this thoughtful action across the country,” he added.
The NLC said its sympathies remained with teachers, students and other categories of workers who have increasingly become targets of kidnappers and criminal groups operating across the country.
Ajaero noted that local government employees, healthcare workers, doctors, nurses and other essential service providers have also suffered from the growing insecurity.
“Our hearts are with the teachers, pupils/students and other vulnerable workers, especially local government workers, doctors, nurses, medical and health workers who often fall victim to the nefarious acts of bandits or other miscreants,” the statement read.
The congress expressed particular concern over reports from Oyo State, where students were allegedly held captive by kidnappers, describing the situation as both disturbing and unacceptable.
“We are heart-broken by the ugly pictures of our children, held and tortured by depraved bandits in the forests of Oyo State,” Ajaero said.
He warned that the country could no longer afford to treat such incidents as routine occurrences, insisting that decisive action was required to halt the trend.
“As a nation, we cannot continue to fold our hands while this horror movie continues to play, from Zamfara to Oyo, from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt,” he stated.
The labour movement also signalled the possibility of broader nationwide action if governments fail to respond adequately to the concerns being raised by teachers and other affected workers.
Ajaero said the NLC would not hesitate to organise solidarity actions alongside teachers or any other group facing similar threats if urgent measures were not taken to improve security.
“We will not hesitate to do a solidarity action with the teachers or any other group of workers if government does not take more seriously the issues of our collective security,” he warned.
The NLC president recalled that organised labour has consistently advocated stronger security measures over the years, noting that the congress had organised security summits and public demonstrations to draw attention to the crisis.
“Our concern for our collective security has never been in doubt,” he said.
According to him, the congress had organised two security summits and several street protests, including a major demonstration in 2024 despite opposition from certain government quarters.
Ajaero also referenced the recent abductions in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, noting that the NLC had previously warned authorities about the dangers posed by escalating criminal activities.
He said labour leaders had repeatedly cautioned that prolonged insecurity could erode public confidence in state institutions and create conditions where citizens begin to lose faith in the government’s ability to protect them.
The NLC further pointed to similar incidents in Plateau, Kogi and other parts of the country as evidence that the security challenge remains widespread.
“Since then other major/group abductions have taken place in Plateau, Kogi and other places underscoring the fact that for now we are not winning this war. It is heart-breaking,” the statement noted.
While acknowledging the complexities involved in addressing security threats, the congress urged authorities to move beyond routine assurances and deliver measurable results.
“We recognise the tricky operational situation in Oyo. We nonetheless use this opportunity to once again call on the government at all levels to rise beyond the ritual of ‘we are on top of the situation’ and condolence messages to concrete and measurable action,” Ajaero said.
The statement appealed for the immediate rescue of all abducted victims still being held by criminal groups.
“Free the abductees now, wherever they are held!” the NLC president declared.
The latest intervention by organised labour added to growing calls from civil society groups, education stakeholders and concerned citizens demanding stronger security measures to protect schools, workers and communities across Nigeria.
