Organised labour unions, under the platform of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), alongside civil society organisations (CSOs), have berated the Federal Government over worsening insecurity, noting that the fundamental rights of Nigerians are sacrosanct.
The organised labour and CSOs lamented that the government has failed woefully to discharge its constitutional responsibility as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The unions, which staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday in Jos, carried banners and placards with various inscriptions expressing concern over insecurity. They warned that if the Federal Government fails to act, they would shut down the country without prior notice.
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BusinessDay reports that the protesters converged at the state secretariat junction as early as 8:00 a.m. and later proceeded to the Plateau State House of Assembly and Government House, Little Rayfield, where they presented a letter for onward delivery to Bola Ahmed Tinubu for necessary action.
They demanded the immediate return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes and measures to avert further escalation of attacks in affected communities, stating that many communities had been ransacked and taken over by terrorists.
According to Eugene Manji, NLC chairman, Plateau State chapter, the protest was to formally register the group’s displeasure with the failure of government at all levels to address insecurity.
“Today, we are here to register and express our displeasure to the Government of the Federation, from the state to the local government, across the three tiers of government. We are all witnesses to the insecurity in this country,” Manji said.
Explaining the rationale for the protest, he said it was a follow-up to concerns raised during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration, where labour leaders had expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of insecurity.
He added that at the recent NLC National Executive Council meeting in Lagos, it was resolved that all 36 states of the federation should act simultaneously.
“It is disturbing that people are being killed daily and it takes another country to remind you that you are a country of particular concern. Look at schools on the Plateau; students have been out of school for over a month due to insecurity. Closing schools only plays into the hands of Boko Haram, which opposes Western education,” he said.
“A country without education is already doomed. It is unfortunate that a country of over 250 million people could slide into such a state, with severe security implications.”
Manji also cited cases of mass abductions in Niger State, Zamfara and other parts of the country, stressing that insecurity affects all Nigerians, irrespective of religion or belief.
He called on the Office of the National Security Adviser to be more proactive and to work in robust synergy with all security agencies to ensure effective coordination in tackling insecurity.
In his remarks, Steve Aluko, coordinator of the Civil Liberty Organisations, expressed concern that the Federal Government could deploy fighter jets and other military assets to counter an attempted coup in Benin Republic within hours, yet appears unable to adequately protect Nigerian citizens, an outcome he described as a serious indictment of governance.
