Nkechinyere Ewa
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of paying more attention to electoral ambitions than to the protection of lives and property, as insecurity continues to worsen across the country.
The allegation was made on Wednesday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, during a protest rally against insecurity organised by the Ebonyi State Council of the NLC.
Reading the text of a press conference, the state chairman of the congress, Professor Ogugua Egwu, lamented that Nigeria has become a country where terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and incessant killings now dominate daily life.
Egwu said Nigerians can no longer confidently say they are safe, noting that even internally displaced persons live in fear in camps meant to provide protection. He decried the growing wave of abductions, particularly of schoolchildren and workers, which has made parents afraid to send their children to school.
Questioning the effectiveness of the nation’s security architecture, the NLC chairman asked whether the numerous security agencies have been weakened by poor funding, politicisation or the effects of widespread poverty.
He cited recent incidents, including the abduction of seven workers in Kwara State, the kidnapping of a civil servant and her husband along the Afikpo–Onueke Road in Ebonyi State, and the hijacking of a bus conveying federal civil servants to a promotion interview. He also recalled the abduction of over 300 pupils and students in Niger and Kwara states, which resulted in the killing of two teachers.
Quoting figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, Egwu said about 4,722 abductions were recorded nationwide between June 2024 and June 2025, with more than ₦2.56 billion reportedly paid as ransom. He added that Nigerians lost an estimated ₦2.23 trillion to kidnapping and related crimes between May 2023 and April 2024.
According to him, workers constitute the majority of victims, often forced to exhaust their meagre earnings to secure the release of loved ones, while suffering long-term psychological trauma.
Beyond physical insecurity, the NLC also raised concerns over worsening economic hardship. Egwu said government claims of economic improvement do not reflect realities on the ground, as fuel prices remain high and wages inadequate.
He noted that over 80 per cent of Nigerian workers spend almost all their income on basic necessities such as food, shelter and water, leaving little for healthcare, savings or quality education. In Ebonyi State, he added, many workers live in overcrowded and poor conditions, with some virtually residing in their offices or operating from environments unfit for human habitation.
Egwu warned that rising poverty and unemployment, especially among youths, are fuelling crime and violence. He said young people are often mobilised for political purposes during elections and abandoned afterwards, creating conditions that worsen insecurity.
He called on governments at all levels to take urgent and decisive action to address the security crisis, stressing that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property, not the pursuit of political power.
The protest, he said, was to draw attention to the increasing cases of kidnapping, killings, banditry and other violent crimes across the country, while urging leaders to demonstrate genuine commitment to the safety and welfare of Nigerians.
Egwu thanked workers and residents for their peaceful participation and urged Nigerians to remain united in demanding accountability and responsible governance.