Nationwide Protest Looms As NLC, Civil Society Converge In Abuja Over Rising Insecurity
By Paul Ebi
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday began gathering at the NLC Secretariat in Abuja ahead of a nationwide protest over worsening insecurity across the country.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was already present at the secretariat, alongside leaders of affiliated labour unions and representatives of civil society organisations, as preparations for the protest gathered momentum.
Also in attendance was human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who arrived with members of the Revolution Now Movement to join the protest in solidarity with organised labour.
Addressing journalists at the venue, Sowore said Nigeria was facing a deepening security crisis, accusing the federal government of failing in its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
“For the civil society, the country is bleeding, and the bleeding must stop immediately. Nigeria’s leadership has failed to protect Nigerians at this time,” he said.
Sowore lamented the rising cases of kidnappings across the country, including attacks on places of worship, noting that neither religious affiliation nor location now offers safety.
“People are getting kidnapped from places of worship, whether you’re a Muslim or Christian. We’ve over 250 kids still in captivity in Niger State, and everybody is behaving as if it’s normal, and everybody is moving on,” he added.
He further raised concerns over reports of Nigerian security personnel being captured abroad, describing the situation as evidence of a broader collapse in national security.
“We even have our soldiers, members of the air force, captured by Burkina Faso, and it looks like everything has broken down irretrievably. We have a duty to keep mobilising Nigerians to say, ‘Enough is enough,’” Sowore said.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened around the NLC Secretariat and its environs, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) deployed to maintain order as the protest unfolds.
The NLC has insisted that the protest is aimed at drawing urgent attention to the country’s security challenges and pressing the government to take decisive action to protect citizens.
