1/27/2026
Court Orders FCTA Workers to Suspend Strike as Legal Battle Deepens
Observers say the outcome of the substantive case could have wider implications for labour relations within government administrations and the limits of strike action once disputes enter judicial processes.
Court Orders FCTA Workers to Suspend Strike
Culturays — The Urban Naija News
Court Orders FCTA Workers to Suspend Strike as Legal Battle Deepens
court-orders-fcta-workers-to-suspend-strike-as-legal-battle-deepens
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), sitting in Abuja, has ordered workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to immediately suspend their ongoing strike, dealing a major legal blow to the industrial action that has disrupted key services in the nation’s capital.
The ruling follows days of escalating tension after FCTA workers, under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), embarked on a strike over unresolved labour demands, an action that had affected administrative operations across several departments of the FCT Administration. Previous reports had highlighted growing concerns from residents and businesses over service paralysis, prompting the FCT leadership to seek judicial intervention.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the NICN granted an interlocutory injunction in favour of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration, restraining the union from continuing the strike.
The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, was instituted by the FCT Minister and the Administration against the JUAC Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh. The claimants asked the court to bar the union and its members from embarking on industrial action, picketing, or any form of work stoppage while the dispute is before the court.
Delivering the ruling, Justice E.D. Subilim acknowledged that the matter qualified as a trade dispute and met the legal thresholds for judicial consideration. However, he stressed that the right of workers to strike is not absolute under Nigerian labour law.
The judge held that once a trade dispute has been formally referred to the National Industrial Court, parties are legally restrained from commencing or continuing industrial action until the court reaches a final determination.
“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the defendants and their representatives from further embarking on any industrial action against the claimants. This order shall remain in force pending the determination of this suit,” Justice Subilim ruled.
The decision effectively compels FCTA workers to return to work, at least temporarily, as the substantive issues behind the dispute move into full legal adjudication.
The court adjourned the matter to March 23, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive suit.
The ruling adds a new legal dimension to the standoff between the FCT Administration and its workforce, shifting the dispute from the streets and offices of Abuja to the courtroom.
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