- Slated For Revolutionary Burial October 23
THE TRAGIC death on Sunday, October 12, 2025, of iconic Comrade Abiodun ‘Aremson’ Aremu, revered labour and human rights activist and towering figure in Nigeria’s progressive movement, has continued to spur widespread mourning and tributes from across the working class movement. He was 65.
Comrade Aremson’s death in a hit-and-run accident sent waves of grief through the labour and civil society communities, on both conventional and social media with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) demanding an immediate and transparent investigation into the circumstances.
According to accounts from colleagues and an official press release, Aremu was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road to his residence in the Ifo area of Ogun State around 6pm.
The driver of the vehicle fled the scene.
The NLC, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, described Aremu’s death as a “colossal loss” and a “tragic loss not only for the organised labour movement but also for the broader Nigerian populace, particularly the downtrodden.”
The congress expressed deep suspicion over the incident, linking it to the earlier suspicious death of another activist, Patrick Naagbanton.
“We cannot, and will not, accept this as a mere accident,” Ajaero stated. “The Nigerian state must dispel the foul odour surrounding his death by apprehending the perpetrator and revealing the full truth. The working class deserves answers.”
Aremu was widely recognized as a key architect and unifier within the labour-civil society movement, playing an indispensable role in forging the Labour-Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and the Joint Action Front (JAF), which he served as secretary until his untimely passage.
These platforms remain crucial to building a united front between organized labour and the broader masses against what Aremu had consistently termed an “exploitative capitalist system.”
Colleagues remembered him as a “titan of the class struggle” whose life was a seamless fusion of revolutionary theory and concrete practice.
Comrade Dr. Ademola Azeez, a longtime associate, recalled Aremson as “one of the most reliable and consistent comrades,” who was “deep both in theory and praxis of the revolutionary struggles.”
He noted Aremson’s unique ability to build bridges across various leftist organizations and his fearlessness as a “barricade organiser.”
Beyond his work in labour organization, Aremu was a dedicated ideological teacher. Recognizing that the battle for the future is a battle for the minds of the youth, he founded the Amilcar Cabral Institute of Ideological Studies (ACIS).
The institute was envisioned as a crucial apparatus for training a new generation of activists in the principles of scientific socialism and internationalist solidarity.
In an announcement sent to National Record, veteran labour leader, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, on behalf the Nigeria labour movement, stated: “One of the greatest revolutionaries and internationalists of our time, Comrade Abiodun ‘Aremson’ Aremu joined the pantheon of revolutionaries on Sunday 12th October, 2025.”
Lakemfa, who was Acting General Secretary of the NLC and Secretary General of OATUU, also noted that Aremson “was in Nigeria, an inimitable leader of the working class who developed structures for collaboration and development of the Labour Movement. These include the Labour, Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and the Kolagbodi Memorial Foundation.
“The Comrade-Leader also built a movement, the Amilcar Cabral Ideological School (ACIS-M) mainly to conscientize the youths, provide them praxis and encourage their development into full revolutionaries that can change the world.
“Aremu was also the Secretary of the Nigeria Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara and, the Nigerian Movement of Solidarity with Cuba. He was a recipient of the Friendship Medal awarded by the Cuban Government to outstanding internationalists.
“The greatest honour we can give our fearless teacher and leader is to continue in his footsteps and, build a world based on social justice.”
Initially, a private burial was planned for Monday, October 13, Lakemfa had announced. However, following consultations between the Aremu family and the Labour Movement, Lakemfa later announced that the interment has been rescheduled to allow for a broader mobilization.
“Comrade Abiodun ‘Aremson’ Aremu will now be laid to rest on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at his family residence on Number 30, Kabiru Fatoye Street, Opposite Alaka Field, Ijako Sugar Bus Stop, Ifo Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway,” Lakemfa stated.
In the wake of his passing, tributes have poured in, honouring a man whose entire being was dedicated to the advancement of the masses. As one comrade stated, “He will always be remembered as an indefatigable warrior for human rights, democracy, the dignity of the human person and for revolutionary change.”
The NLC has called on all comrades and allies to converge on Ifo for a “befitting, ideological burial,” asserting that the greatest tribute to the iconic activist is to recommit to the ideals he lived and died for: the relentless struggle for an egalitarian society and the liberation of the working class.
