Wike Heads to Court as Strike Paralyzes FCT Offices, Unions Vow to Hold Their Ground

A deepening labour standoff in the Federal Capital Territory has taken a legal turn as FCT Minister Nyesom Wike dragged the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) before the National Industrial Court, even as striking workers shut down key government offices in Abuja and insist they will not return to work.

The legal action follows the commencement of an indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) after a seven-day ultimatum elapsed without a resolution. Since Monday, the strike has halted activities at major government facilities, including the FCTA Secretariat.

With offices locked and access restricted, security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were deployed to enforce order around the secretariat complex in Abuja.

While FCTA management maintains that substantial progress had been made in addressing workers’ grievances, the unions dismissed the claim, saying the core demands remain unmet. The disagreement has now landed in court.

Court filings obtained from the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria show that the suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, was filed by the FCT Minister and the FCTA against JUAC leaders Rifkatu Iortyer (President) and Abdullahi Saleh (Secretary General), in their official capacities. The case is being handled by Justice E. D. Subilim.

The claimants are asking the court to restrain the unions from picketing, blocking access to offices, shutting down roads or taking any action that disrupts the operations of the FCT administration. They allege that union activities have crippled governance in the capital.

At the initial court session, only lawyers representing the minister and the FCTA were present. The legal team featured several senior advocates, including Ogwu Onoja (SAN), M.A. Ebute (SAN) and George Ibrahim (SAN).

After reviewing the application, Justice Subilim ruled that the claimants had shown sufficient grounds and granted approval for substituted service of court documents on the union leaders. In his ruling delivered on January 21, the judge directed that the processes be served through publication in a national newspaper and by posting them at the JUAC office within the FCTA Secretariat in Garki, Abuja.

“Having carefully considered the affidavits and written submissions before the court, I am satisfied that the applicants have made out a case deserving of the reliefs sought,” the judge ruled, adjourning the matter to January 26, 2026, for further hearing.

Despite the court action, JUAC has doubled down on the strike. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Holina Adejoh, the union praised workers for their compliance and dismissed the lawsuit as intimidation.

“We will not relent in the struggle,” the statement declared, urging members to remain at home until further notice.

As both sides dig in, one in the courtroom and the other on the picket line, the impasse leaves governance in the nation’s capital hanging in the balance, with the next court date now a key moment in the unfolding labour crisis.