Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has taken the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) of the FCTA to court over the indefinite strike by workers.
The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, was filed at the Abuja division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and is scheduled for hearing on Monday.
Persecondnews reported that the workers began their strike on Monday, citing authorities’ failure to address long-standing labour and welfare demands, which has led to the shutdown of major government offices in Abuja.
The FCT minister and the FCTA are seeking a court order to restrain the unions from picketing, blocking roads, or disrupting government activities.
In court, the claimants were represented by a team of senior lawyers, including Ogwu Onoja, M.A. Ebute, and George Ibrahim, while the defendants were absent.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim granted leave for substituted service of court processes on the defendants, ordering publication in a national newspaper and posting at the JUAC office.
The court ruled that the mode of service would be deemed valid and proper.
Despite the legal action, JUAC has vowed to continue the strike, urging workers to remain at home until their demands are met.
Persecondnews reports that the union’s Publicity Secretary, Holina Adejoh, stated that the court action would not deter them, and they would not suspend the strike until their demands are addressed.
The FCTA management claims most demands have been met, but JUAC insists critical issues remain unresolved.
The strike has paralyzed government operations, prompting the deployment of security personnel to restrict access to the FCTA Secretariat.
The case has been fixed for January 26 for motion on notice.
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