Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has served a notice of intention to organize a nationwide protest over the incessant , killings, abductions of Nigerians, particularly school children and general insecurity in the country
The National President of the union, Joe Ajero disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held in Lagos.
Ajaero mentioned the recent abduction of school children in Kebbi State, and the alleged withdrawal of soldiers said to have been stationed around the school moments before the abductors .
He said it’s unacceptable, declaring that the Nigerian Labour Congress will declare nationwide protests of mourning to demand an end to the killings.
“We will also demand to know who ordered the withdrawal of soldiers before the Kebbi school children were abducted,” Ajaero, said at the NEC meeting. He did not specify the date of the protest, but said it would be communicated at the end of the meeting.
The NLC president also warned politicians against overheating the polity, or giving an opportunity to undemocratic forces to strike. He said the labour movement had in the past fought undemocratic forces to a standstill.
Ajero noted that Nigerians had had enough, stressing that it was time to put a stop to the killings by armed bandits and terrorists.
“If you lose today, you can win tomorrow. Therefore, don’t burn the house,” Ajaero said to politicians.
He also announced the withdrawal of all NLC members serving in different committees of the Labour Party (LP) both of Julius Abure and Nenadi Usman- led factions.
He said the decision was necessary for the to movement restrategise the way forward for the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He called on the federal government to respect all agreements freely entered into with various unions, pointing particularly to those of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and unions in the nation’s health sector.
Speaking at the event, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, opposed foreign intervention in the nation’s security affairs, stressing that calls for external foreign intervention was counter productive and posed a terrible risk to Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He expressed concern over the rising wave of kidnappings across the country, stating that criminal gangs continue to abduct citizens despite the presence of a functioning government.
Falana noted that desperation had pushed some Nigerians to support the idea of foreign military intervention, particularly by the United States — a move he strongly condemned.
He recalled that Nigerians had historically rejected attempts by foreign powers to establish military bases in the country, citing the 1962 resistance to the Anglo-Nigerian Defence Pact shortly after independence. Since then, he said, both the United States and Britain had repeatedly sought similar arrangements, which Nigerians consistently opposed.
The human rights lawyer warned that the experiences of countries such as Libya, where foreign intervention destabilized national structures and left the nation fragmented, should serve as a cautionary tale.
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.
Falana stressed that Nigeria must avoid becoming entangled in prolonged foreign military engagements, pointing to America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan as an example of long-term instability that external intervention caused.
