The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken legal steps to have striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) committed to prison for allegedly disobeying an order of the National Industrial Court.
The action follows the workers’ decision to resume their strike despite a court order issued on January 27, 2026, directing them to suspend all industrial action pending the determination of a suit instituted by the FCT Minister.
In response, Wike, through his legal team, has obtained Form 48, a statutory legal notice that outlines the consequences of disobeying a court order.
The document, secured by his counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ogwu James Onoja, is intended to compel compliance or pave the way for contempt proceedings that could result in imprisonment.
The Form 48, titled “Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Order of Court,” warns that failure to comply with the ruling of Justice Emmanuel E. Sublimi of the National Industrial Court would amount to contempt of court. It states:
“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of Honourable Justice E. D. Sublimi 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 January 29, was signed by the Registrar of the National Industrial Court, Olajide Balogun, and is expected to be followed by formal contempt charges if the workers fail to comply.
Justice Sublimi had earlier ordered the FCTA workers to suspend their strike following an application by the FCT Minister, who sought a court directive compelling them to return to work. The suit named the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as respondents.
In his ruling, the judge held that under Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, all industrial actions, including strikes, must be suspended once a dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court.
He explained that the filing of an originating summons constitutes such a referral, thereby making continued industrial action unlawful.
Justice Sublimi further warned that failure to comply with the provisions of the Act could attract sanctions, stressing that the public interest in maintaining industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience caused by suspending the strike.
Although the striking workers justified their resumption of the strike on the basis that they had filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, Wike’s legal team dismissed the argument.
According to Onoja (SAN), the filing of an appeal does not automatically stay the execution of a court’s ruling unless an express order granting a stay has been made.
The senior lawyer urged the workers to respect the rule of law, warning that continued defiance could expose them to severe legal consequences.
“Court orders are not made in vain,” Onoja stated in court documents. “They are meant to be obeyed for sanity to prevail in society.”
