The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it would not hesitate to call for a nationwide industrial action to support the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the ongoing strike against kidnapping of students and teachers in Oyo State should governments at all levels fail to address the crisis decisively.

In a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, NLC expressed solidarity with teachers across the country, describing the industrial action as a courageous response to the repeated abduction of teachers, students and pupils by criminal elements.

“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 threatened and warned that the country’s worsening security crisis is pushing workers and citizens to the brink.

According to the labour leader, the strike reflects the determination of teachers to protect themselves and those under their care rather than continue to operate under constant fear of attack. “The national and well-coordinated 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 said the strike should also serve as a wake-up call to governments at all levels to confront what it described as a growing “insecurity industry” that continues to threaten lives and livelihoods across the country.

Ajaero commended the leadership of the NUT under Titus Audu Amba for what he called a thoughtful and timely action aimed at drawing attention to the dangers faced daily by educators and learners. “We commend the leadership of the NUT led by Comrade Titus Audu Amba for this thoughtful action across the country,” he said.

The labour movement extended its sympathy beyond the teaching profession, noting that other categories of workers remain vulnerable to attacks by bandits and criminal gangs. These include local government employees, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers serving in remote and high-risk communities.

Particularly distressing, the NLC said, were reports and images emerging from Oyo State, where schoolchildren were abducted and subjected to inhumane treatment. The congress described the development as heartbreaking and unacceptable in a nation that claims to prioritize the welfare of its citizens.

“We are heart-broken by the ugly pictures of our children, held and tortured by depraved bandits in the forests of Oyo State,” Ajaero said, expressing outrage over the ordeal of the young victims and their families.

The NLC warned that the security situation is no longer confined to isolated regions, arguing that the threat has spread across the country. “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 said.

The congress recalled its previous efforts to draw attention to the nation’s security challenges, including the organization of two national security summits and several street protests. One of the most notable demonstrations, held in 2024, went ahead despite what the NLC described as pressure from government circles to cancel it.

Following the recent abductions in Oriire, Oyo State, the NLC said it had warned authorities about the growing danger of citizens losing confidence in the state and increasingly looking elsewhere for protection and survival. The congress urged government to address the root causes of insecurity before the situation deteriorates further.

The labour body noted that major abductions have continued to occur in several states, including Plateau and Kogi, despite repeated assurances from authorities. These incidents, it said, demonstrate that the country is still struggling to gain the upper hand against criminal groups.

“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,” Ajaero lamented.

While acknowledging the operational challenges faced by security agencies, particularly in Oyo State, the NLC urged leaders at all levels to move beyond routine assurances and adopt measurable strategies capable of delivering tangible results. “We once again call on 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,” the NLC president said.

The statement concluded with a passionate appeal for the immediate rescue of all kidnapped victims. “Free the abductees now, wherever they are held,” Ajaero declared, reinforcing the labour movement’s demand for urgent and decisive action to restore safety and public confidence across Nigeria. (The Guardian)

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