Injunction issued against union leaders as legal battle over promotion arrears begins.
The National Industrial Court (NICN) in Abuja has issued an interlocutory injunction, halting the ongoing indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and barring their union from any further industrial action.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, January 21, 2026, by Justice E. D. Subilim, restrains the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), its leaders, agents, and members from embarking on strikes, picketing, lockouts, or any action “capable of crippling activities of the FCTA.”
The order follows an indefinite strike launched by the workers on Monday over alleged non-payment of promotion arrears and other entitlements.
The court’s decision came after an application filed by the Minister of the FCT and the FCTA Administration. Their lead counsel, Dr. Ogwu J. Onoja, SAN, argued that the strike was illegal under extant labour laws and posed a “serious threat to public administration” in the nation’s capital.
Justice Subilim held that the applicants had established a strong case deserving of judicial protection to prevent the paralysis of government operations. The defendants, JUAC President Rifkatu Iortyer and Secretary Abdullahi Umar Saleh, were absent from the proceedings.
Consequently, the court granted an order for substituted service, directing that court processes be published in a national newspaper and pasted at the JUAC office at the FCTA Secretariat in Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
The originating summons filed by the FCTA challenges the legality of the strike under the Trade Disputes Act and questions the registered status of JUAC as a trade union.
In reaction, a JUAC official who spoke anonymously stated the union’s readiness to defend its actions legally. “If they want us to continue our agitation in court, we are ready,” the official said.
The case has been adjourned to Monday, January 26, 2026, for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.
