Wike Moves to Jail Striking FCT Workers for Defying Court Order
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approached the National Industrial Court seeking the imprisonment of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) workers for allegedly defying a court order.
The workers resumed their strike despite a January 27 court directive halting industrial action until a suit instituted by Wike against them is determined.
To enforce compliance, Wike obtained Form 48, a legal notice outlining the consequences of ignoring the court order.
The document, titled “Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Order of Court,” was served on the striking employees by Dr Ogwu James Onoja, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of Bar and Bench Chambers in Abuja.
The notice states, “Take note that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of Honourable Justice E. D Sublimi of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria delivered on the 27th day of January 2026, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.” It was signed on January 29 by the Registrar of the Industrial Court, Mr Olajide Balogun.
Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi had on January 27 ordered the FCTA workers to suspend their strike pending the hearing of the originating summons filed by Wike.
The suit names the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as respondents.
The judge stressed that once a dispute is brought before the National Industrial Court, all industrial action, including strikes, must be halted, citing Section 18(1)E of the Trade Dispute Act.
He added that the public interest in industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience caused by suspending the strike.
Four days after the court order, the workers continued their strike, claiming that a notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal against Justice Sublimi’s ruling allowed them to resume action.
Wike’s legal team rejected this, stating that “unless there is an express order of court staying the execution of Industrial Court ruling, the workers have no basis to resume the strike” and warned them to comply to avoid court sanctions.
Justice Sublimi adjourned the substantive matter to March 25, 2026, for hearing.
The strike, which began on January 19, has shut down activities across Abuja, affecting FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals, as workers demand the fulfilment of government obligations.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
