The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on governments at all levels and security agencies to urgently tackle the country’s worsening security crisis following the abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
In a statement issued by NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the labour centre said the recent kidnapping of an estimated 39 pupils and seven teachers from schools in Oriire ;local government area of Oyo State reflected the growing collapse of security across the country.
The abductees were reportedly taken from Community High School and LA Basic School in Ahoro Esinele, as well as First Baptist School, Yawota. The congress noted that public reaction to the incident showed how insecurity had become normalised in the country.
According to the statement, the incident had refused to fade from public attention because of the age of the victims and the reported killing of one of the teachers while in captivity.
The NLC said the attacks highlighted the increasing brutality of armed groups, accusing them of deriving “sadistic joy” from torturing children and circulating disturbing videos on social media to pressure authorities and communities into paying ransom.
The congress, however, commended security operatives and local vigilantes for mounting a prompt pursuit of the abductors, noting that the rescue effort was hindered by the use of improvised explosive devices and the abductees as human shields.
Ajaero warned that Nigeria was gradually losing its deterrence and rescue capabilities against criminal groups, adding that the continued failure to protect citizens could push communities to lose confidence in the state and seek protection elsewhere.
The labour leader also expressed concern that insecurity was no longer limited to remote communities, stressing that no part of the country could now be considered safe.
He urged the federal government and security agencies to adopt new strategies and tactics in confronting terrorism and banditry, insisting that the fight against insecurity must shift from “a business” to “one of survival.”
The NLC maintained that Nigerians were tired of repeated condolence messages and demanded concrete action to halt the bloodshed and restore public confidence in the country’s security architecture.
He said, “We seem to have lost the kinetic deterrence and capacity for opposed extraction (rescue). Yet a greater tragedy awaits us all, and that is the potential switch of loyalty to bandits en masse by the citizenry.
Another layer of the tragedy is that there are no more safe havens in the country. From the perspective of the affected rural communities, abductions of this nature were stories told of distant places. Now, nowhere is safe.”
“Government at all levels must wake up. Our security agencies should do a thorough soul-searching. It is their sacred duty to protect lives and property. We believe that where there is will, there is a way.
We’d like to demand action now. We have had enough of sermons and condolence messages. For how long should we bleed like this?”
