The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has declared that the country has effectively been in a “state of war” for over ten years, warning that kidnapping has transformed into a high-yield enterprise for organized criminal networks.
The labor center raised the alarm on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, during a world press conference held at the TUC National Secretariat in Utako, Abuja. Addressing newsmen, TUC President Comrade Festus Osifo criticized the continuous wave of violence, abductions, and banditry across the country, emphasizing the crippling effect on Nigerian workers and the broader national economy.
Speaking on behalf of the union, Osifo noted that criminal elements have institutionalized abductions into a structured, commercial industry. Armed non-state actors continue to operate across transport corridors, rural communities, and agricultural hubs.
”Nigeria has been in a state of war for over a decade due to insecurity,” Osifo stated, stressing that kidnapping remains a booming business for perpetrators who act with little deterrence. The union highlighted that despite persistent government assurances and military operations, the safety of citizens remains severely compromised.
The TUC underscored that chronic insecurity is directly worsening the nation’s economic woes, driving up food prices by chasing farmers off agricultural land and discouraging both local and foreign investment.
To halt the escalating crisis, the TUC called on the Federal Government and security agencies to adopt new, intelligence-driven strategies.
The union outlined key demands for immediate action, which includes:
Tracking Financial Trails: Demanding that intelligence and anti-graft agencies trace and freeze the banking channels and digital wallets used by syndicates to collect ransom payments.
Border and Rural Security: Deploying modern surveillance technology and equipment to secure agricultural belts, transit routes, and vulnerable rural communities.
Protecting Livelihoods: Ensuring targeted defense measures for workers, farmers, and commuters who face the daily risk of abduction.
The TUC concluded by warning that organized labor will not stay silent while Nigerian workers continue to pay the ultimate price for persistent security lapses, calling for swift, visible results from the country’s security chiefs.
