The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), a specialist court that handles labour and employment disputes, has ordered workers in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the seat of the federal government, to suspend their ongoing strike action.
The order was given by the court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, after an application brought by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers State in southern Nigeria, and the FCT Administration.
Okay News reports that the minister and the territory’s administration approached the court to stop workers operating under the Joint Union Action Committee from continuing the industrial action.
In the case, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, the claimants asked the court to restrain the Chairman of the Joint Union Action Committee, Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, along with their agents, from embarking on any strike, picketing, or lockout.
Delivering a ruling on Tuesday, Justice E.D. Subilim said the dispute before the court qualified as a trade dispute and had met the legal requirements for the court to intervene.
However, the judge held that the right of workers to go on strike was not unlimited, especially once a dispute had been formally taken to the National Industrial Court.
He ruled that when a labour dispute has been referred to the court, workers are barred from continuing a strike over that matter, and that any ongoing industrial action must stop until the court reaches a decision in the substantive case.
“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the claimants and representatives… from further embarking on any industrial action against the claimant. The order shall remain in force, pending the determination of this suit,” Justice Subilim said.
The court adjourned the matter to Sunday, 23 March 2026, for hearing of the main suit.
More details are expected as the case progresses.
