NLC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plot to Disrupt National Protest

By Chinedu Echianu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to infiltrate and violently disrupt its planned National Day of Protest and Mourning scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2025.

In a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC said it has received “credible and disturbing intelligence” indicating that “unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings” are planning to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters and create a pretext for repression.

The labour union described the planned nationwide protest as a legitimate response to what it called Nigeria’s worsening security situation, marked by persistent killings, kidnappings and abductions, which it blamed on government indifference or weakness.

According to the Congress, the protest is not merely a procession but a collective expression of grief and a democratic demand for the fundamental rights to life and security. It noted that many of its members, including teachers, farmers, miners and artisans, have lost their lives to insecurity across the country.

The NLC warned that it considers any planned attack on peaceful protesters as an act of terrorism against Nigerian citizens, adding that it was already aware of alleged moves to unleash violence on demonstrators.

The Congress issued a stern warning to those behind the alleged plot, urging them to desist immediately and withdraw any hired thugs. It stressed that any attack on workers during the protest would be viewed as a declaration of war on the Nigerian working class and its allies.

The NLC also called on the Nigeria Police, which it said had been duly informed of the protest, to protect citizens’ democratic rights to peaceful assembly and expression.

Addressing workers, students, traders, the unemployed and other victims of insecurity, the Congress urged participants to remain calm, disciplined and peaceful, warning against provocation while encouraging mass participation.

The NLC further disclosed a resolution of its National Executive Council, stating that if any worker or citizen is harmed during the protest, the Congress will immediately declare a comprehensive and indefinite nationwide strike.

It warned that such action would lead to a total shutdown of all sectors of the economy, insisting that any attack on peaceful protests would amount to an attack on the “engine of Nigeria,” with grave consequences.

The planned protest is expected to hold across major cities nationwide.