The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged governments at all levels to move beyond offering rhetoric and condolence messages to taking concrete and measurable steps to tackle the worsening insecurity across the country.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, expressed the labour group’s solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over the recurring cases of abduction of its members and students in the country.

“We recognise the tricky operational situation in Oyo. We nonetheless use this opportunity to once again call on the government at all levels to rise beyond the ritual of “we are on top of the situation” and condolence messages to concrete and measurable action,” Mr Ajaero said.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to express solidarity with the striking members of NUT (Nigeria Union of Teachers) over the serial cases of abduction of its members and students/pupils,” the statement said.

The NLC said the well-coordinated demonstration by the NUT, led by its president, Comrade Titus Audu Amba, represented the resolve of teachers “to take their destiny in their hands instead of waiting to be slaughtered to the last person.”

“The action equally represents a gentle but unignorable nudge on the governments to take more seriously the growing insecurity industry.”

Mr Ajaero lamented about how teachers, pupils, students, local government workers, doctors, nurses and health personnel are frequently victims of banditry and other criminal activities in the country.

“We are heart-broken by the ugly pictures of our children, held and tortured by depraved bandits in the forests of Oyo state. As a nation, we cannot continue to fold our hands while this horror movie continues to play, from Zamfara to Oyo, from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt,” he said.

He noted that the NLC would not hesitate to initiate a solidarity action with the teachers or any other group of workers if the government does not treat the security of lives as paramount.

He warned that the country is losing the war against insecurity, as other major or mass abductions have taken place in Plateau, Kogi and other areas in the aftermath of the Oriire abduction in Oyo State.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to launch solidarity actions if the Federal Government fails to take concrete steps to address the country’s worsening security crisis.

The organized labour union issued the warning in a press statement signed by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero on Wednesday.

The threat comes following a string of mass abductions, including the recent kidnapping of school children and teachers in Oyo State.

In the statement, the NLC expressed solidarity with the striking members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), who went on national strike to protest the recent abductions of teachers and students.

“The national and well-co-ordinated action represents the resolve of Teachers to take their destiny in their hands instead of waiting to be slaughtered to the last person,” the NLC stated.

Commending the NUT leadership led by Comrade Titus Audu Amba, the NLC noted that its heart goes out to vulnerable workers, including teachers, students, local government workers, doctors, and nurses, who frequently bear the brunt of banditry and violent crime.

The union, however, warned that the status quo is entirely unsustainable. “As a nation, we cannot continue to fold our hands while this horror movie continues to play, from Zamfara to Oyo, from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt,” the statement noted. “We will not hesitate to do a solidarity action with the teachers or any other group of workers if government does not take more seriously the issues of our collective security.”

The statement reads in full:

Press Statement
(03/06/2026)

ACT NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

The Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to express solidarity with the striking members of NUT (Nigeria Union of Teachers) over the serial cases of abduction of its members and students/pupils.

The national and well-co-ordinated action represents the resolve of Teachers to take their destiny in their hands instead of waiting to be slaughtered to the last person.

The action equally represents a gentle but unignorable nudge on the governments to take more seriously the growing insecurity industry.

We commend the leadership of the NUT, led by Comrade Titus Audu Amba for this thoughtful action across the country.

Our hearts are with the Teachers, pupils/students and other vulnerable workers, especially local government workers, Doctors, Nurses, Medical and Health workers who often fall victim of the nefarious acts of bandits or other miscreants.

We are heart-broken by the ugly pictures of our children, held and tortured by depraved bandits in the forests of Oyo state.

As a nation, we cannot continue to fold our hands while this horror movie continues to play, from Zamfara to Oyo, from Maiduguri to to Port Harcourt.

We will not hesitate to do a solidarity action with the teachers or any other group of workers if government does not take more seriously the issues of our collective security.

Our concern for our collective security has never been in doubt. In the past couple of years, we have organised two security summits, street protests, the last one being in 2024 against all pressure from government circles to not hold it.

In the aftermath of the Oriire abductions in Oyo State, we had issued a statement not only condemning the despicable action, we drew the attention of government for the umpteenth time to the growing danger of the citizenry switching loyalty to bandits and the need it to deal with the situation before it spins out of control.

Since then other major/group abductions have taken place in Plateau, Kogi and other places underscoring the fact that for now we are not winning this war. It is heart-breaking.

We recognise the tricky operational situation in Oyo. We nonetheless use this opportunity to once again call on the government at all levels to rise beyond the ritual of “we are on top of the situation” and condolence messages to concrete and measurable action.

Free the abductees now, wherever they are held!

Comrade Joe Ajaero
President