The simmering standoff between Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and workers under the FCT Administration took a sharp legal turn on Thursday, after the authorities secured a court order to halt an ongoing strike by labour unions.
The National Industrial Court (NICN) in Abuja issued an interlocutory injunction stopping the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) from continuing its indefinite strike, which had threatened to grind activities in the nation’s capital to a halt. The strike followed days of tension over unpaid promotion arrears and other statutory entitlements owed to workers.
Justice E. D. Subilim, who presided over the matter, granted the FCT Administration’s application, restraining JUAC from embarking on any further industrial action while the case is pending. The order expressly bars the union from picketing, locking out offices, blocking roads, or taking any steps capable of disrupting government operations in the FCT.
Arguing the case for the FCTA, lead counsel Dr. Ogwu Onoja, SAN, told the court that the strike was not only crippling essential services but was also unlawful. He further questioned the legal standing of JUAC itself, contending that as an umbrella body, it may not qualify as a registered trade union under the Trade Disputes Act.
Notably, JUAC’s president, Rifkatu Iortyer, and its secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, were absent from the proceedings. In response, Justice Subilim approved substituted service, directing that court papers be pasted at JUAC’s office in the Area 11 Secretariat and published in a national newspaper, ensuring the union is formally notified.
The ruling marks a significant escalation in the dispute, shifting the battle from protest grounds to the courtroom, as both sides brace for the next phase of a confrontation that has already disrupted governance in the capital.
