By Uboh-Ekong Treasure
Nigeria’s labour and civil society community has lost one of its most respected voices following the death of Comrade Abiodun Aremu, popularly known as Aremson, a leading Marxist thinker, organiser, and Secretary of the Joint Action Front (JAF).
Aremu, aged 65, died on Sunday, October 12, 2025, after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver near his residence in Ota, Ogun State. He was crossing the road around 6 p.m. when he was struck by an unidentified vehicle. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where efforts to resuscitate him proved unsuccessful.
His passing has triggered an outpouring of tributes from labour leaders, civil rights activists, and ideological comrades who described his death as a “devastating loss to the people’s movement”.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in a condolence statement, expressed deep sorrow and called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The union described Aremu as a “fearless organiser, revolutionary teacher, and consistent advocate of the working people”.
A lifelong Marxist-Leninist, Aremu was a founding member of the Labour Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and the Amilcar Cabral Ideological School (ACIS-M), where he trained generations of activists in socialist and revolutionary ideology. He was also known for his role in international solidarity campaigns, particularly in support of Cuba, Venezuela, and the liberation movement in Western Sahara.
His remains will be laid to rest on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at his residence located at No. 30 Kabiru Fatoye Street, Opposite Alaka Field, Ijako Sugar Bus Stop, Ifo Road, along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway.
Comrades and colleagues have described his passing as the fall of an “IROKO” within Nigeria’s radical and intellectual community, remembering him as a man who lived and died for justice, equality, and the liberation of the oppressed.
