FCT Minister Moves to Jail FCTA Workers Over Disobedience to Court Order

FCT Minister Moves to Jail FCTA Workers Over Disobedience to Court Order

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has initiated fresh legal action to have striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) jailed for allegedly disobeying a court order issued by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

The move follows the workers’ decision to resume their strike despite a court directive ordering them to suspend industrial action pending the determination of a case filed by the FCT Minister. Wike’s legal team has approached the court to activate contempt proceedings, describing the workers’ actions as open defiance of judicial authority.

As part of the enforcement process, a Form 48 legal notice titled “Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Order of Court” has been issued against the striking workers. The notice, dated January 29, 2026, warns that failure to comply with the court order could result in imprisonment. It was obtained on Wike’s behalf by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Dr. Ogwu James Onoja of Bar and Bench Chambers, Abuja.

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The court order, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi on January 27, 2026, instructed the workers to immediately suspend their strike, citing Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, which mandates suspension of industrial actions once a dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court. Justice Sublimi emphasized that maintaining industrial peace in the FCT was paramount, warning that noncompliance could attract sanctions.

Despite the ruling, the workers resumed their strike four days later, claiming they had filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, which they argued justified the continuation of the industrial action. However, Wike’s legal team rejected this reasoning, asserting that filing an appeal does not automatically stay the execution of a court order, and that a specific court order is required to lawfully resume the strike.

In court documents, Wike’s legal team stated:
“Court orders are not made in vain. They are made to be obeyed for sanity to prevail in the society.”

The substantive suit has been adjourned to March 25, 2026, for hearing. Wike had listed the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as respondents in the case.

The industrial action, which began on January 19, 2026, involved workers of the FCTA and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) downing tools over what they described as unmet welfare and administrative demands by the Federal Government. The strike led to the shutdown of ministries, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals in Abuja, disrupting public services across the capital.

The latest legal steps by the FCT Minister signal a zero-tolerance approach to court defiance, as authorities seek to restore public service operations and uphold judicial authority in the Federal Capital Territory.

FCT Minister Moves to Jail FCTA Workers Over Disobedience to Court Order