"What we are saying is that the damage is too enormous, it has to stop. We want people to return to normalcy and not live in IDPs. They should live in their communities, children should return to schools, teachers should be protected, that is all we are saying, and our constitution guarantees that."
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on a nationwide protest on Wednesday to call on the government to swiftly address the worsening insecurity in the country.
Addressing protesters and journalists shortly after the protest in Abuja, the Deputy General Secretary of the NLC, Ismaila Bello, said insecurity has had 'enormous damage' in many parts of the country.
Mr Bello lamented the spate of insecurity in the country, noting it has left teachers and pupils out of school and residents out of their community
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
He asked the government to fish out the perpetrators of violence, including their sponsors, for prosecution.
"What we are saying is that the damage is too enormous; it has to stop. We want people to return to normalcy and not live in IDPs. They should live in their communities, children should return to schools, teachers should be protected, that is all we are saying, and our constitution guarantees that.
"All the government needs to do is bring all the powers and machinery of governance to ensure that all the ungoverned places in our country are recovered immediately, to ensure that everybody who is connected with this underground economy is fished out and punished, shamed, and sent to prison.
"A few elements cannot thrive on the agony and pain of the majority of our people. If you are a sponsor of banditry or kidnapping, you should face a death sentence. You are involved in banditry and kidnapping; you should pay the ultimate price. That is why Labour is out today," he said.
NLC meet governors
Mr Bello explained that the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and other NLC executive members left the protest ground to meet with the state governors and local government authorities concerning the subject of the protest.
"As we are doing our protest here, we are also having dialogue there, to demand from the state governors, and local governments, to demand from the federal government the need to step up the security of the country, so that ordinary citizens enjoy maximum protection," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The NLC's head of International Affairs, Uche Ekwe, called for the prosecution of perpetrators and funders of terrorism in the country.
Mr Ekwe also appreciated members of the union and civil society allies who participated in the protest.
How protest was held in Abuja, Lagos
In Abuja, the protest was mostly held at the NLC headquarters in the Central Business District (CBD), Abuja, before a brief movement through the district and back to the labour house.
In Lagos, the protesters gathered at the Ikeja underpass on Wednesday morning.
In both cities, protesters chanted solidarity songs, waved the Union Flag, and held placards with various inscriptions.
Some of the placards read "Security and Safety our fundamental rights" ", Stop the killings", "Federal government no more excuses and rhetoric! End insecurity now" and "Poverty Fuels Insecurity".
Mr Ajaero told reporters on Wednesday morning that the protest would continue despite a late-night meeting with President Bola Tinubu, whose government sought to quell the protests.
He also disclosed that the union would be meeting with the state governors on the rising cases of insecurity.
The NLC had on Sunday announced it would embark on a nationwide protest to draw attention to Nigeria's worsening insecurity and compel urgent action from stakeholders.
