The Nigeria Police Force, ahead of nationwide protests by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has mobilised special forces and tactical teams to ensure a violence‑free demonstration, state commands said on Tuesday.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

In separate interviews with Punch, police spokespersons confirmed their preparedness to tackle miscreants and political hirelings who may seek to disrupt the rallies.

The NLC has maintained that it will not retract its planned nationwide protests, which were called in response to escalating insecurity and other labour issues.

When asked if the union had mobilised its affiliate unions for the rallies, the NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, stated, “We are going on with the protest across the country.”

He warned that any attempt to interfere with today’s National Day of Protest and Mourning could trigger a nationwide indefinite strike.

Upah said the union had received intelligence suggesting that unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings might try to infiltrate or violently disrupt the demonstrations.

He added that harming even a single worker or citizen would spark “an immediate and indefinite shutdown across all sectors of the economy.”

“Our action tomorrow is not just 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,” the statement read.

“Any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown,” the union warned.

The protest is linked to broader labour grievances, including unresolved agreements with the Federal Government, rising cost of living, and the impact of insecurity on workers’ productivity, safety and livelihoods.

The NLC has highlighted the deaths of countless members, teachers, farmers, miners, and other artisans amid escalating insecurity and perceived government inaction.

The union has framed the protest as a civic action, not just a labour issue, aimed at mobilising public opinion and compelling authorities to prioritise security and governance reforms.

In announcing the protest, the NLC directed its state chapters across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to mobilise members for peaceful demonstrations, emphasising that the action is lawful and constitutionally protected.

In a notice issued to all state councils on December 10, following its National Executive Committee meeting held on December 4, the labour centre condemned the activities of bandits and kidnappers across the country and the government’s failure to address the situation.

Meanwhile, the police have stepped up security and deployed personnel and equipment across their jurisdictions to ensure smooth protests.

The Benue State Police Command said it deployed tactical teams across the state to ensure that hoodlums did not hijack the planned peaceful protest.

The spokesperson of the command, Udeme Edet, stated, “The command has deployed tactical teams all around major areas of the state to ensure that hoodlums do not hijack the planned protest by the labour union.

“I can assure you that the whole state is peaceful now, but our officers are on alert in case of any eventuality.”

The Jigawa State Police Command, on its part, highlighted its plans to make the protest violence-free.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, detailed the command’s proactive measures, saying, ‘’We’ve deployed adequate personnel to monitor and secure the protest routes,” he said.

The Sokoto State command said it is engaging with labour leaders to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during the protest.

The command’s spokesman, Ahmed Rufai, disclosed that the command has also placed its personnel on alert and that a special team would be deployed to flashpoints in the metropolis.

“We held a meeting with their leadership today at the headquarters, and we have received their assurance that the protest will be orderly. The command has also put its men on alert in case of any uncertainty,” he added.

The Imo State police spokesman, Henry Okoye, said the command has deployed ‘’maximum security’’ to guard against any form of breach.

According to him, the state is safe, and residents will be protected during the protest.

“The Imo State police command has deployed maximum security for members of the NLC during their protest to ensure there is no breach. There is nothing to worry about.

“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has deployed watertight security to prevent any form of security breach and breakdown of law and order,” Okoye said.

Similarly, the Bayelsa State police explained that it would mobilise both tactical units and drones to ensure that hoodlums do not hijack the NLC protest.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, noted, “The CP has directed that tactical units will be deployed to ensure that hoodlums do not hijack the protest. The drone units will also be deployed to assist officers on the ground.”

Ahead of today’s rally, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, has met with state labour officials to ensure a peaceful protest.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna, told Punch that the meeting was held at the command’s headquarters in Bompai on Tuesday.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has engaged the leadership of the NLC in the state today with a view to ensuring that the event is peaceful,” Haruna said.

According to him, the command has also put in place necessary measures to ensure the protest remains peaceful and that no one uses it to cause trouble in the state.

In the same vein, the Public Relations Officer of the Gombe State Police Command, Buhari Abdullahi, said all arrangements have been made to ensure a peaceful rally.

He said, “All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure full security for the rally, as strategic security deployments have been carried out.

“The Commissioner of Police has assured the NLC of full security coverage for a smooth procession.”

Also, the Bauchi State police command confirmed it would deploy personnel to ensure a peaceful protest by the NLC in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Habib Nafiu, said the command was aware of the planned nationwide protest and had taken proactive steps to guarantee public safety.

Nafiu noted that the NLC is a structured and organised union comprising educated members drawn from non-governmental organisations and government establishments, stressing that its members are law-abiding citizens with a constitutional right to engage in peaceful protests.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress is a formal organisation. Its members are citizens of this country, and they have the right to protest peacefully,” he said.

Also in Akwa Ibom State, the police stated that they engaged with the state’s labour leaders.

The command spokesman, Timfon John, added that adequate deployment had been made in strategic locations backed by enhanced patrols.

She said, “The command is currently talking with the NLC leadership to ensure no breach of peace is recorded in Akwa Ibom State.

“The police have made enough deployments throughout the state. These measures include the deployment of adequate personnel to strategic locations, enhanced patrols, and intelligence-led surveillance.”

In Kwara State, the police have also implemented measures to ensure a peaceful demonstration.

Speaking with Punch on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, assured residents that the police would provide adequate security before, during, and after the protest, noting that the command was committed to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly while preventing a breakdown of law and order.

“The Kwara State Police Command has stationed its officers and men in strategic areas of the state capital to ensure the maintenance of law and order and to guard against the protest being hijacked by criminal elements,” she said.

The PPRO further disclosed that the command would be holding a security summit on Wednesday as part of broader efforts to tackle insecurity and violent crimes in the state.

According to her, the summit, titled ‘Taking Back Our Communities: The Police–Public Partnership Against Violent Crimes’, aims to strengthen collaboration between security agencies and the public in combating crime.

She added that the command was intensifying community engagement and intelligence-led policing to address security challenges in Kwara State, particularly amid concerns over kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in parts of the state.

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