The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has applied to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) for an order to commit the striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to prison over their alleged disobedience to a court order.
The workers’ disobedience arose from their resumption of the strike despite a court order issued on 27 January 2026, which directed the suspension of the industrial action until the determination of the suit brought against them by the FCT Minister.
To underscore his position, the FCT Minister obtained Form 48, a legal document specifying the consequences of violating a court order, to be served on the striking workers.The form was obtained by Dr Ogwu James Onoja, SAN of the Bar and Bench Chambers in Abuja, on behalf of Wike to compel the workers to obey the court order or face imprisonment as stipulated by law.
Form 48, titled “Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Order of Court,” to be followed with contempt charges, states: “Take note that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of Honourable Justice E. D. Subilim 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.”
The notice, dated 29 January, was signed by the Registrar of the Industrial Court, Mr Olajide Balogun.Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Subilim of the National Industrial Court had on 27 January ordered FCTA workers to suspend their industrial action pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons issued against them by the FCT Minister.
The order followed an application by the FCT Minister, through Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, seeking a court directive compelling the striking workers to return to work.
In the suit, the FCT Minister listed the President and the Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as respondents.Justice Subilim held that industrial action, including strikes, must be suspended once a dispute has been referred to the National Industrial Court. Citing Section 18(1)E of the Trade Dispute Act, the court noted that suspension ensures the dispute is properly resolved and that ongoing strikes must halt upon the commencement of a suit by originating summons, which constitutes a referral.
The judge further stated that failure to comply with Section 18 of the Act may attract sanctions and emphasised that the public interest in maintaining industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience caused by suspending the strike.
However, four days after the order was served, the workers had yet to comply.
Although the striking workers cited a notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal against Justice Subilim’s ruling as the basis for resuming the strike, Wike’s legal team rejected the claim.
Onoja maintained that unless there is an express order of court staying the execution of the Industrial Court ruling, the workers have no legal basis to resume the strike and advised them to be law-abiding citizens to avoid incurring the wrath of the court.
According to the senior lawyer in the court papers, “Court orders are not made in vain. They are made to be obeyed for sanity to prevail in society.”
It will be recalled that after granting the restraining order against the strike, Justice Subilim adjourned the substantive matter to 25 March 2026 for hearing.
The FCTA workers and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) had on 19 January commenced an industrial action, shutting down activities across Abuja over what they described as “unmet demands” by the Federal Government.
The strike affected all FCTA Secretariats, Departments, Agencies, Area Councils and parastatals under the FCTA.