The Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has withdrawn from a planned nationwide protest against insecurity, warning that the timing could disrupt Christmas travel and expose residents to violence.
In a statement issued in Benin City on Tuesday, the council said it would not participate in the demonstration scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025, by the NLC’s national leadership under its President, Joe Ajaero. The statement was signed by the Acting State Chairman, Bernald Joman Egwekhide.
While acknowledging the gravity of insecurity across Nigeria, the Edo NLC said the proposed protest was “ill-planned” and poorly timed, coming at the peak of the yuletide season when movement across the state typically increases.
“Edo State, being a gateway state, cannot afford the kind of confusion this protest can cause at such a time,” the statement said, noting that large-scale demonstrations could severely disrupt travel and commercial activities.
The council further warned that protests during a sensitive economic period could be hijacked by criminal elements. According to the NLC, such a scenario could provide “an avenue for hoodlums to hijack the process and turn it into a leeway to commit various atrocities and unleash mayhem on unsuspecting citizens and residents of the State.”
Despite opting out of the protest, the Edo NLC stressed that it remained concerned about the security challenges facing the country. It urged the Edo State Government to sustain its efforts in addressing insecurity and called on security agencies to intensify their operations.
“We are not unaware of the security challenges faced by the Nigerian nation and the world at large,” the statement added, while commending the Edo State Government for what it described as ongoing efforts to curb crime.
The council concluded by directing all its affiliated unions in the state to comply with the decision and ensure that members are duly informed that Edo NLC would not take part in the December 17 protest.
The national protest, according to the NLC leadership, is intended to draw attention to rising insecurity across the country, including kidnappings, banditry and violent crime. However, Edo’s decision underscores growing divisions within organised labour over strategy, timing and public safety considerations.
