The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has raised the alarm over what it described as a “clandestine move by some unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful National Day of Protest and mourning organised by workers,” scheduled for December 17, 2025, declaring unequivocally that “an attack on any protester is an act of terrorism.”

In a press statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, on Tuesday night, the Congress said it had received “credible and disturbing intelligence from our networks within the communities,” pointing to a plot to unleash violence on peaceful protesters. It warned that such actions would amount to “further enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens.”

Explaining the rationale behind the planned action, the NLC said the protest was “a necessary and legitimate response to the escalating reign of terror unleashed upon our nation,” noting that “the industrial-scale loss of lives, kidnappings, abductions, and killings, in the face of staggering government indifference or weakness, clearly speaks to the issue.”

According to the Congress, the protest is “not just a mere procession,” but “a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security.” It stressed that “we have lost count of the number of our members, teachers, farmers, miners, and other artisans, who have died due to this overwhelming insecurity.”

The NLC said it was placing those behind the alleged plot on notice, stating: “Let this be understood by those who occupy the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, cause mayhem, and create a pretext for violent repression.”

Issuing what it described as a “stern and final warning,” the Congress demanded that those involved should “DESIST IMMEDIATELY” and “call off your hoodlums,” insisting that “any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be considered a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies.”

The statement also placed responsibility on security agencies, noting that “the Police, having been informed of our protest and its dynamics, must act to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves,” while emphasizing that “the rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed.”

Addressing workers and the wider public, the NLC said: “To all the working people of Nigeria, the unemployed, the students, the traders, and all victims of insecurity, we alert you to this insidious plot.” It urged that “do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined, and massive. Solidarity is our shield.”

The Congress warned of grave consequences should violence occur, revealing that: “Here is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council: Should a single worker, comrade, or citizen be harmed by these thugs or through escalated repression tomorrow, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike.”

It further declared that in such circumstances, “all wheels of production, all services, and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely,” arguing that “when the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against their failure, they unwittingly reveal their truly undemocratic tendencies.”

Concluding, the Congress said: “The message must be clear and without equivocation; any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria,” warning that “the consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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