The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has raised the alarm over what it describes as a credible threat to the safety of workers and citizens participating in the National Day of Protest and Mourning scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
This is contained in a statement signed by the acting general secretary
Benson Upah, in Abuja.
The statement says it has uncovered an alleged plot by certain desperate political interests and their collaborators to deploy armed thugs to infiltrate and violently disrupt the planned peaceful protests across the country.
It explains that the protest is a lawful and moral response to the deepening insecurity in Nigeria, which has claimed thousands of lives through killings, kidnappings, and abductions, leaving workers, farmers, teachers, and artisans as major victims.
According to the statement, the planned action is intended as a solemn expression of national grief and a collective demand for the protection of lives and property, stressing that workers can no longer remain silent in the face of unchecked violence and fear.
According to the statement, the Congress warns that any attempt to attack or intimidate peaceful protesters would amount to terrorism against citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
It urges security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, to act professionally and decisively to safeguard protesters and prevent any breakdown of law and order, noting that the authorities have already been formally notified of the protest.
The statement also appeals to workers, students, traders, the unemployed, and all Nigerians affected by insecurity to remain peaceful, disciplined, and vigilant during the protest, and to avoid being provoked by agents of violence.
The NLC further stresses that its National Executive Council has resolved to declare an immediate and indefinite nationwide strike should any protester be harmed or subjected to violent repression.
It warns that such a strike would shut down all sectors of the national economy, insisting that the safety of citizens and the right to peaceful protest must be respected at all times.
