The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a dramatic ultimatum, warning that a single act of violence against its planned National Day of Protest and Mourning today could trigger an immediate and indefinite nationwide strike.
The union raised an alarm over what it describes as a clandestine plot by “unscrupulous agencies and political hirelings” to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful demonstration against pervasive insecurity.
In a scathing statement released on Tuesday by its acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC revealed it had received “credible and disturbing intelligence” detailing plans to deploy armed thugs to attack workers and citizens participating in the protest.
The NLC framed the protest not as a political procession, but as a necessary and deeply felt response to the national security crisis.
The statement read in part: “NLC has received credible and disturbing intelligence from its community networks indicating a clandestine plan by unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful National Day of Protest and Mourning organised by workers for Tuesday, December 17, 2025 (today).”
The union lamented the human cost of the violence, stating: “These protests, as every comrade and citizen knows, are a necessary and legitimate response to the escalating reign of terror unleashed on our nation. The industrial-scale loss of lives through kidnappings, abductions and killings, amid staggering government indifference or weakness, speaks for itself. Our action tomorrow is therefore not a mere procession; it is a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security.”
Upah emphasized the immense toll on the working populace: “We have lost count of the number of our members—teachers, farmers, miners and other artisans—who have died as a result of this overwhelming insecurity. Let it be clearly understood by those in the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to deploy armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, foment chaos and create a pretext for violent repression. We call this plot exactly what it is: state-enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens.”
The labour centre issued a severe warning to those allegedly planning the disruption: “We therefore issue a stern and final warning to the sponsors and executors of this plan: Desist immediately. Call off your hoodlums. Any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be regarded as a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies.”
The NLC reminded law enforcement of their duties, insisting that the Police, having been duly informed of the protest, “must rise to their constitutional responsibility to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves. These rights must be respected and guaranteed.”
Addressing participants, the NLC urged calm and discipline: “To all working people of Nigeria—the unemployed, students, traders and all victims of insecurity—we alert you to this insidious plot. Do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined and massive. Solidarity is our shield.”
The statement concluded with the NLC’s unyielding position, threatening to completely shut down the national economy: “This is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council of the NLC: Should a single worker, comrade or citizen be harmed by hired thugs or through escalated repression, the NLC will immediately declare a comprehensive and indefinite nationwide strike. All wheels of production, all services and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely.”
He concluded by stressing the undemocratic nature of crushing dissent: “When the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against its own failure, it only exposes its profoundly undemocratic tendencies. Let the message be clear and without equivocation: any attack on our protest is an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be escalation and total shutdown.”
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