The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has raised the alarm over a purported scheme by “unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings” to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful National Day of Protest and mourning scheduled for December 17, 2025.
The protest, organised by workers nationwide, is described by the NLC as a necessary response to the escalating insecurity affecting citizens across the country.
In a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC said it had received “credible and disturbing intelligence from our networks within the communities” pointing to a planned attack on peaceful protesters.
The Congress warned that any such action would amount to “further enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens.”
Explaining the rationale behind the planned protest, the NLC said it is “not just a mere procession, but a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security.”
It noted that “we have lost count of the number of our members, teachers, farmers, miners, and other artisans who have died due to this overwhelming insecurity.”
The Congress further placed those allegedly behind the plot on notice, declaring: “Let this be understood by those who occupy the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, cause mayhem, and create a pretext for violent repression.”
Issuing a “stern and final warning,” the NLC demanded that those involved “DESIST IMMEDIATELY” and “call off your hoodlums,” insisting that “any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be considered a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies.”
The statement also placed responsibility on security agencies, noting that “the Police, having been informed of our protest and its dynamics, must act to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves,” while emphasizing that “the rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed.”
Addressing workers and the wider public, the NLC said: “To all the working people of Nigeria, the unemployed, the students, the traders, and all victims of insecurity, we alert you to this insidious plot. Do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined, and massive. Solidarity is our shield.”
The Congress warned of grave consequences should violence occur, revealing that “here is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council: should a single worker, comrade, or citizen be harmed by these thugs or through escalated repression tomorrow, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike.”
It added that “all wheels of production, all services, and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely” in such circumstances, arguing that “when the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against their failure, they unwittingly reveal their truly undemocratic tendencies.”
Concluding, the NLC said: “The message must be clear and without equivocation; any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown.”
