The suit, filed at the National Industrial Court and marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, is before Honourable Justice E. D. Subilim.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), comprising all trade unions and categories of employees within the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja Judicial Division.
The minister cited the ongoing strike and alleged acts of picketing, obstruction and shutdown of government activities in the nation’s capital.
The suit, filed at the National Industrial Court and marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, is before Honourable Justice E. D. Subilim.
The claimants in the matter are the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), while the defendants are listed as Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, sued on behalf of the Joint Unions Action Committee.
According to court documents sighted by SaharaReporters, the Minister and the FCTA are seeking orders of the court to restrain the unions and their agents from engaging in picketing, lockouts or any form of action targeted at the claimants, heads of departments and political appointees.
The claimants also accused the unions of attempting to cripple the activities of the FCTA by blocking and obstructing the free flow of vehicular movement, shutting down offices and frustrating the administration of the FCT “by any means whatsoever.”
The originating processes allege that the actions of the unions, if not checked, could lead to a total breakdown of administrative and economic activities within the Federal Capital Territory, thereby negatively affecting residents and the general public.
At the hearing of the application, counsel to the claimants appeared before the court, while the defendants were absent.
The legal team representing the Minister and the FCTA included Dr. Ogwu J. Onoja, SAN, M.A. Ebute, SAN, George Ibrahim, SAN, K.O. Mustapha, Esq., and Esther Audu, Esq.
After listening to submissions from counsel to the applicants and carefully examining the reliefs sought, the supporting affidavit and the written address, the presiding judge ruled that the applicants had established a case warranting the granting of the prayers before the court.
In a ruling delivered on January 21, 2026, Justice E. D. Subilim granted leave to the claimants to serve the originating processes and all subsequent court processes on the defendants by substituted means.
The court specifically ordered that service should be effected by advertising or publishing the processes in Leadership Newspaper or any other national daily newspaper circulating in Nigeria, as well as by pasting the processes at the premises of the Joint Unions Action Committee located at the FCTA Secretariat, No. 1 Kapital Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
Justice Subilim further ordered that the substituted service shall be deemed good and proper service on the defendants.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to January 26, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
The order read, "Having listened to Counsel to Applicants and taking a close look at the reliefs, the affidavit and the written address thereto, I am of the view that Applicant has establish a case to warrant the granting of the reliefs sought. Accordingly, an order for leave is hereby granted to serve the Originating processes and any or all subsequent process in this suit on the Defendants by Subtituted means by advertising/publishing same in the Leadership Newspaper or any other National Newspaper or Daily in Nigeria AND pasting same on the premises of Joint Union Action Committee at FCTA Secretariat No 1 Kapital Street, Area l1, Garki, Abuja.
"An order is hereby granted deeming the said mode of service as good and proper service on the Defendants.
"This case is hereby adjourned to 26/01/2026 for Motion on Notion."
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, the Joint Unions Action Committee on Thursday issued a statement to all FCTA and FCDA staff, insisting that the strike action remains in force despite the court case instituted by the Minister.
In the statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, the union leadership commended workers for complying with its directive to stay at home and declared that the industrial action would continue until all their demands are met.
The statement read, "We sincerely appreciate you for complying with the directive to stay at home. The strike action continues until our demands are met."
The union also confirmed that it had been served information about the court action initiated by the FCT Minister.
“The union wishes to bring to the notice of all staff that the Minister of the FCTA has taken us to court,” the statement said.
JUAC declared that it would not retreat from its demands or be cowed into submission by threats or legal pressure.
“We will not relent in the struggle as well as allow agents of oppression to cow us into submission. JUAC will not succumb to any form of intimidation or harassment by any means,” the union stated.
The labour body appealed to workers to maintain solidarity and continue to stay away from work pending further directives.
“We appeal for your cooperation. Do well to continue to stay at home until further directive from JUAC,” it added.