…Warns Of Wider Protest
THE NIGERIA Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the nationwide protest actions by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), describing the strike as a necessary response to the growing insecurity confronting teachers, students and other vulnerable workers across the country.
In a strongly worded statement titled: “Act Now Before It Is Too Late,” NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the labour movement stands in solidarity with teachers who have withdrawn their services in protest against the persistent abduction of educators and schoolchildren.
According to Ajaero, the action by teachers represents a collective determination to protect their lives rather than “wait to be slaughtered to the last person,” while also serving as a warning to governments at all levels to treat the country’s security crisis with greater urgency.
The NLC praised the leadership of the NUT under Comrade Titus Audu Amba for organising what it described as a thoughtful and coordinated national response to the growing threats faced by education workers.
“Our hearts are with the teachers, pupils, students and other vulnerable workers who continue to fall victim to bandits and criminal elements,” Ajaero said.
Outrage Over Oriire School Abduction
The labour centre expressed particular concern over the abduction of teachers and pupils from schools in Oriire LGA of Oyo State, an incident that has triggered outrage across the country.
Armed attackers stormed schools in the Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities of Oriire on May 15, abducting dozens of pupils, students and teachers while killing at least one educator during the raid. Security agencies subsequently launched rescue operations and investigations into the attack.
Reports indicate that the attack targeted multiple schools simultaneously, including L. A. Primary School and Community Grammar School.
The NLC said it was deeply disturbed by images and reports showing abducted children being tortured in captivity.
“As a nation, we cannot continue to fold our hands while this horror movie continues to play,” Ajaero said, lamenting that insecurity now stretches “from Zamfara to Oyo, from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt.”
Teachers Escalate Protest
The NUT had recently directed teachers in Oyo State to embark on an indefinite strike over the continued captivity of abducted teachers and students. The union also instructed its state chapters nationwide to hold solidarity rallies to demand the immediate release of the victims.
The union said the strike became necessary after repeated appeals to government and security agencies failed to secure the freedom of those kidnapped during the Oriire attacks.
The labour movement’s endorsement significantly raises pressure on authorities, with the NLC warning that it may organise broader solidarity actions if governments fail to take decisive steps to address insecurity.
“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,” Ajaero stated.
A Persistent National Crisis
School abductions have become one of the most troubling manifestations of Nigeria’s security challenges over the past decade.
Although such incidents were once concentrated mainly in the North-West and North-East, recent attacks in Oyo have raised concerns that the phenomenon is spreading into parts of southern Nigeria.
The Oriire attack was described by observers as unusual for the South-West, where mass school kidnappings have historically been less common.
In March 2024, gunmen abducted more than 200 pupils from a school in Kaduna State in one of the largest school kidnappings in recent years, highlighting the continuing threat posed by armed groups targeting educational institutions.
Human rights groups and security analysts have repeatedly warned that recurring attacks on schools are undermining education, increasing fear among parents and contributing to declining school attendance in affected communities.
NLC Renews Call for Action
Ajaero argued that labour’s concern about insecurity is not new, noting that the NLC had organised security-focused protests and summits in recent years to draw attention to the crisis.
The labour leader said government responses have too often been limited to assurances that authorities are “on top of the situation” rather than delivering measurable improvements in public safety.
He warned that continued failure to protect citizens could further erode public confidence in the state and embolden criminal groups.
The NLC therefore called on federal, state and local governments to move beyond rhetoric and intensify efforts to secure the release of all abducted persons while implementing long-term measures to protect schools, workers and communities across the country.
“Free the abductees now, wherever they are held,” Ajaero declared.
