NLC demands probe into Abiodun Aremu’s ‘suspicious’ death

NLC demands probe into Abiodun Aremu’s ‘suspicious’ death

By Jeffrey Agbo

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran labour activist and ideological leader, Abiodun Aremu, describing his passing as a monumental loss to the Nigerian working class and civil society.

Aremu, 65, was reportedly killed in a hit-and-run accident on Sunday, October 12, 2025, near his residence in Ifo, Ogun State. The activist was said to have been knocked down by a speeding vehicle around 6 p.m. while crossing the road to his home in Ota.

In a statement issued by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Aremu’s death, warning that the incident bore the hallmarks of a suspicious attack.

The statement reads: “The NLC and the entire spectrum of progressive civil society in Nigeria are plunged into deep grief by the tragic and untimely death of our comrade, teacher, and steadfast General, Comrade Abiodun ‘Aremson’ Aremu. He was taken from us on the evening of Sunday, 12th October 2025, in a brutal hit-and-run accident in his neighbourhood in Ifo, Ogun State.

“Comrade Aremu was no ordinary man. He was a titan of the class struggle, an organic intellectual of the working people, and an unwavering internationalist whose life was a testament to unalloyed commitment to the cause of the oppressed. His entire political life was a seamless fusion of revolutionary theory and concrete praxis, dedicated to the emancipation of the working class and the construction of an egalitarian, socialist society.

“As a key architect of the Labour Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and other vital platforms such as the Joint Action Front (JAF), Comrade Aremu played an indispensable role in forging unity between the organized working class and the broader popular masses. He understood that the chains of the Nigerian people could only be broken through a united front against the exploitative capitalist system. He was a true workers’ General—unyielding, uncompromising, and steadfast.

“Recognizing that the battle for the future is also a battle for the minds of the youth, he founded the Amilcar Cabral Institute of Ideological Studies (ACIS). This institute was his ideological gift to the movement, a critical tool for conscientizing a new generation of revolutionaries, equipping them with the principles of scientific socialism and the spirit of internationalist solidarity. His leadership extended to the Nigeria Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara and the Nigerian Movement of Solidarity with Cuba.

“The circumstances of his death, a so-called ‘hit-and-run,’ bear the marks of a suspicious pattern, reminiscent of the untimely death of another valiant comrade, Patrick Naagbanton. The Nigeria Labour Congress demands an immediate, transparent, and thorough investigation by the Federal and State Governments into this heinous act. We cannot accept this as a mere accident. The Nigerian state must ensure that the perpetrator is apprehended and the full truth revealed. The working class deserves no less.

“As we mourn this colossal loss, we call on all comrades, allies, and Nigerians who yearn for a better world to converge on Ifo, Ogun State, on Thursday, 23rd October, to collectively give our beloved General a befitting, ideological burial.

“The greatest tribute we can pay to this fearless teacher is to immortalize him not just in tears, but in action. We must recommit to the ideals he lived and died for: the relentless struggle against exploitation, the ideological clarity of the left, and the building of a mass movement capable of acquiring power for the people. We also call on all to remember and support the family he has left behind, who shared him with the struggle.

“Comrade Abiodun Aremu has joined the pantheon of revolutionary ancestors. His body may have fallen, but his ideas and zeal remain invincible. Nigerian masses will miss him. Nigerian workers will remember him. NLC mourns his exit. Who will join us at the barricades? Let the cadre arise and bear aloft the flag of passionate struggle that he embodied!”

The NLC described Aremu’s death as an irreplaceable blow to Nigeria’s labour and civil rights movements, hailing him as a “fearless general” whose lifelong commitment to social justice would continue to inspire future generations.