The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to stage a nationwide protest on December 17, 2025, over the worsening state of insecurity across the country.
The labour movement said the protest is aimed at drawing urgent national and international attention to the rising incidents of kidnapping, banditry, and violent crimes, while compelling the government and relevant stakeholders to take decisive and coordinated action.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, disclosed this on Saturday in Gombe while speaking with journalists after a meeting with Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on labour and socio-economic issues.
According to Ajaero, insecurity has become a universal threat affecting Nigerians across all social classes, professions, and regions, with devastating consequences for workers, families, and the economy.
He warned that the growing wave of violence is eroding Nigeria’s economic stability and diminishing investor confidence, both locally and internationally.
“Insecurity is damaging the economy and weakening Nigeria’s ability to attract investors,” Ajaero said. “No investor will put resources in a country where lives are unsafe.”
The NLC President described banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes as practices alien to Nigeria’s cultural values, urging citizens and authorities alike to reject what he termed a “dangerous national narrative.”
He cited recent killings and abductions across several states as justification for the planned protest, noting that workers and their families are increasingly becoming targets.
Referring to a recent incident in Kebbi State, Ajaero said a teacher was killed, while children of workers were among those kidnapped.
“Our planned protest is to call attention to the impact of insecurity on workers and investors who are kidnapped daily and sometimes killed,” he stated.
The labour leader said the protest would also serve as a signal of public support for bold and lawful actions by the government to confront criminal elements.
“Government should know that Nigerians are ready to support any genuine effort to end insecurity. This menace is wrong and must stop,” he said.
Ajaero further highlighted the severe economic and psychological toll insecurity places on workers, explaining that many families lack the financial capacity to pay ransom and are often forced into debt or public appeals to secure the release of loved ones.
“Workers don’t have guns or cutlasses to fight criminals,” he said. “Protest remains our only voice to the government and the international community.”
He also called on the Federal Government to strengthen social safety nets, stressing that the national minimum wage alone is insufficient to cushion the hardship faced by workers amid rising insecurity and economic pressure.
The planned December 17 protest is expected to take place across major cities nationwide, as organised labour intensifies its demand for improved security and protection of lives and livelihoods.
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