Group counsels labour union, bemoans attacks in on peaceful protesters

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has urged all labour unions in the country to team up and demand sincere actions from the government, with respect to addressing the festering insecurity challenges bedevilling the country.

In a statement signed by CHSR’s President Comrade Alex Omotehinse, the group maintained that it is a disheartening development, that the people now take up arms against peaceful protesters instead of jointly demanding good governance.

“We unequivocally condemn the shameful and violent disruption of peaceful protesters, including members of the Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement and other civil society organizations, by elements reportedly linked to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

“These were not criminals. These were citizens, young Nigerians, advocates, and concerned voices who gathered peacefully to mourn, to protest, and to demand accountability in the face of unbearable insecurity.

“At the heart of this protest lies a tragedy that should shake every conscience, the abduction of students in Oyo State and the horrific killing of a Male Teacher.

“These are not mere headlines. They are human lives, dreams cut short, families shattered, and a painful reminder that nowhere and no one is truly safe anymore.

“It is therefore profoundly distressing that, at a time when the nation ought to unite in grief and demand urgent solutions, those expected to lead the struggle particularly student bodies have instead turned against their own people.

“This is not just disappointing; it is a betrayal of history, a betrayal of conscience, and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.

“The attack on peaceful protesters is not only barbaric; it is inhumane. It is an assault on the very soul of democracy and a cruel attempt to silence voices crying out against suffering, fear, and neglect.”

Comrade Omotehinse noted that the alarming rate the security situation in the country deteriorates signals the urgency of collective responsibility of labour unions.

“The attack on peaceful protesters is not only barbaric; it is inhumane. It is an assault on the very soul of democracy and a cruel attempt to silence voices crying out against suffering, fear, and neglect.

“It sends a dangerous message that even grief must be suppressed, and that citizens must endure pain in silence. But Nigerians cannot and must not be silenced.

“Across the country, insecurity has become a shared nightmare. From banditry to kidnappings, from the targeting of students to the killing of innocent citizens, the threat is no longer distant, it is immediate, pervasive, and indiscriminate.

“It does not ask about religion. It does not consider tribe. It does not respect status. It affects us all.

“Today it is students. Tomorrow, it is workers. The next day, it could be anyone.

“This is why CHSR calls on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and all civil society organizations to rise beyond hesitation and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

“This is not a teachers’ struggle. This is not a sectoral issue. This is a national emergency.

“We call on them to peacefully mobilize, to lend their voices, and take to the streets in lawful solidarity, not out of defiance, but out of duty to a nation in distress.Silence at this moment is complicity.”

CHSR however demands; “an immediate and transparent investigation into the attack on peaceful protesters, with full accountability for all involved, unconditional protection of citizens’ rights to mourn, protest, and express grievances without fear, an urgent and sincere government action to address the escalating insecurity across Nigeria.

“A united front by labour unions and civil society to demand justice and protect the Nigerian people. Immediate policy redirection to alleviate the crushing socio-economic hardship facing citizens.”