The National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja has granted an interlocutory injunction filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), restraining workers under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) from continuing their ongoing strike. The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, names JUAC’s President Rifkatu Iortyer and Secretary Abdullahi Umar Saleh as defendants, and seeks a court order compelling the striking FCT workers to return to their duty posts amid legal proceedings. The court held that once a dispute is before it, the right to embark on industrial action is not absolute, and therefore the strike must be suspended pending determination of the case.

The industrial action, which began earlier this month over unresolved welfare issues including alleged unpaid salaries, promotion arrears and poor working conditions across FCTA departments, had effectively shut down operations at key administrative offices. The injunction restrains union leaders, their agents and members from engaging in strike-related activities, picketing or lockouts that could further disrupt government functions. The matter has been adjourned to March 23, 2026, for hearing of the substantive suit as tensions remain high between the FCT workforce and the administration.