Zamfara State’s Commissioner of Police, Kolo Yusuf, has made a firm commitment to eradicate insurgency in the state within a span of three months. During a meeting with various stakeholders, including organised labor unions, religious leaders, civil society organisations, and journalists, Kolo expressed his determination to tackle the issue head-on.

In conjunction with his pledge, the Commissioner called for the suspension of the proposed nationwide protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which had been scheduled for February 27 and 28. He attributed the planned protest to the removal of fuel subsidies by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, clarifying that it was not a decision made by the current government.

Kolo emphasized the importance of patience and support for the government’s efforts in resolving the insurgency problem. He revealed that both the federal and state governments had implemented measures to address the issue and expressed confidence in achieving a resolution within the stipulated time frame.

Addressing the stakeholders, Kolo appealed for a reconsideration of their stance on the protest, highlighting the potential negative impact such actions could have on the state. He stressed the dire consequences of a halted workforce and the impact of bandits preventing farming activities, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

In response, Saidu Mudi, Chairman of the TUC in Zamfara State, stated that they could not cancel the protest as they had not received any directive from their national leadership to do so. Mudi explained that the Commissioner had discussed his desire for the labor unions to back down on the strike actions, but without a collective decision from both unions, they would proceed as planned unless an agreement was reached.

The organised labor had initially planned the two-day nationwide protest to address concerns over the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and hardship prevalent in the country. However, the TUC later withdrew its support, citing a lack of joint decision-making between the unions regarding the protest dates.