The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the federal government to implement firmer and more coherent measures to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security situation, following the recent abduction of schoolgirls by armed bandits in Kebbi State.

In a statement signed on Tuesday by its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC described the incident as a painful setback for a state known for timely salary payments, consistent pension obligations, and notable infrastructural development.

Ajaero noted that Kebbi’s investments in social welfare and proactive security initiatives were intended to reduce the likelihood of violent attacks. However, the bandits’ ability to strike with “relative ease” signals a deeper national security failure.

“The news of the abduction of college students by bandits in Kebbi State deeply saddens us. That bandits struck with relative ease despite these measures points to something more worrying, something sinister, something we cannot readily identify,” the statement read.

Highlighting that earlier assurances following the Chibok girls’ abduction had promised such attacks would not recur, Ajaero stressed the need for urgent national reflection and action. He also urged full support for Governor Nasir Idris as the state addresses the trauma inflicted on victims, families, and the wider community.

The NLC criticized federal security spending, questioning why “bogus budgets” have yet to translate into meaningful protection for citizens, and warned that insecurity is shrinking both the physical and psychological space available to Nigerians.

“We had been promised that after Chibok, it would not happen again, yet here we are, back where we started. Let us therefore today arise as a nation and as a people determined to confront this evil before it consumes us all,” Ajaero concluded.