THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reschedule their planned protest in Abuja, warning that it cannot guarantee the safety of participants due to prevailing security concerns.
The protest, billed for Tuesday, February 3, 2026, was announced by the two labour unions on Sunday as a peaceful solidarity rally in support of workers of the FCT Administration currently on strike over welfare-related issues.
In a joint statement issued by NLC spokesperson Benson Upah and TUC Secretary-General N. A. Toro, and sent to News Point Nigeria, the unions said the rally would hold at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) as a public show of solidarity with affected workers.
The labour centres directed all their affiliates and FCT state councils to ensure effective mobilisation and timely dissemination of information to members, stressing that full participation was expected in what they described as a lawful and peaceful action.
However, the FCT Police Command, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Monday by its Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, advised the unions to shelve or reschedule the protest, citing credible intelligence suggesting a potential threat to public order.
According to the police, intelligence reports indicated that the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and other non-state actors were planning to infiltrate and hijack the protest, posing risks to public safety.
“The FCT Police Command is aware of a planned peaceful protest by the NLC FCT Council, scheduled to hold tomorrow, Tuesday, 3rd February 2026, within the Federal Capital Territory,” the statement read.
“While the Command recognises and respects the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and protest, and remains committed to providing adequate security for all lawful activities, intelligence reports at the disposal of the Police indicate plans by the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria and other non-state actors to infiltrate and hijack the protest for purposes inimical to public peace and security.”
Adeh explained that the call for rescheduling was made in the overriding interest of public safety, noting that the police were also mindful of the need to protect residents’ freedom of movement and ensure the uninterrupted conduct of daily activities in the nation’s capital.
“In view of the above, and in the overriding interest of public safety, the FCT Police Command respectfully appeals to the organisers of the planned protest to consider rescheduling the activity to a later date and time,” she said.
“This measure is aimed at forestalling any breakdown of law and order, while also ensuring that the rights of other residents to safety, freedom of movement, and the conduct of lawful daily activities are not infringed upon.”
The planned rally is linked to an indefinite strike embarked upon by workers of the FCT Administration on January 19, over unpaid salaries, promotion arrears, and poor working conditions.
In response to the strike, FCT authorities approached the National Industrial Court, describing the industrial action as illegal and seeking an order restraining the unions and their members from continuing the strike.
The court subsequently ordered the workers to resume work, a decision that further escalated tensions.
Following the ruling, the NLC and TUC accused the FCT authorities of intimidation, insisting that workers’ grievances had not been adequately addressed and vowing to resist what they described as suppression of labour rights.
As of 2:20pm on Monday, the labour unions had yet to officially respond to the police request to reschedule the protest.