Nigeria: Urgent Measures Needed to Stop the Violence

The ITUC, together with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, is urging the authorities to end the cycle of violence and the growing state of insecurity occurring in Nigeria.

Armed groups have been attacking residents of several parts of the North, culminating in the bloodiest of such attacks in Kano where about 250 people were reported to have died as a result of multiple bomb attacks in several locations in the commercial city. This was followed with another attack in Bauchi.

According to trade union leaders in the country the Nigerian Federal Government have failed to combat the country’s socio-economic deficiencies which has led to unemployment, collapse in the education system, collapse of industries as well as other infrastructure. All these have been compounded by the recent increase in the pump price of petrol.

Earlier this month, the Nigerian trade union movement organised a general strike to protestagainst the government’s removal of fuel subsidies (see previous ITUC news). The government responded to the protest with brutal repression rather than seeking a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“It is time for the Nigerian authorities to take all necessary measures to stop the violence and to address democratically the socio economic challenges needed” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary.

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: Mike Blyth