January 28, 2026
News | SUNTV Global Channel
Trade unions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have declared that their ongoing strike action remains in force, insisting that a court order reportedly obtained by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, does not restrain the unions or the general workforce.
The unions clarified that the interlocutory injunction issued by the National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja Division, applies only to two individual union leaders sued in their personal capacities and not to the trade unions as legal entities.
In a statement addressing widespread claims that the court had halted the industrial action, the unions described such reports as misleading and inconsistent with the actual court proceedings.
“Minister Wike did not sue the striking trade unions at the National Industrial Court. He only sued two union leaders in their personal capacity,” the statement read.
“The order obtained today is against those two individuals and not against the trade unions. Therefore, our strike continues.”
Details Of The Court Case
Documents obtained by SUNTV Global Channel show that the suit before the National Industrial Court was filed by the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as Claimants, against Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh as Defendants.
The court document, dated Tuesday, January 27, 2026, and signed by the Registrar, indicates that the application before the court sought “an order of injunction to restrain the Defendants in the manner sought on the face of the motion paper.”
Justice E. D. Subilim, in granting the application, issued an Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the named Defendants and those described in the order from engaging in industrial action, strike, picketing, lockout, or other activities capable of disrupting the operations of the Claimants.
The order further listed prohibited actions, including blocking roads, obstructing vehicular movement, shutting down operations, or any act capable of crippling the activities of the FCTA, under the supervision of the FCT Minister.
The injunction is to remain in force pending the hearing and final determination of the originating summons in the suit.
Unions Reject Interpretation Of Blanket Injunction
Despite the wording of the court order, the FCT trade unions maintain that the fundamental legal position remains unchanged, stressing that the suit was not instituted against the unions themselves.
According to the unions, the two Defendants were sued strictly as individuals, meaning that no valid restraining order currently exists against the trade unions or the collective workforce in the FCT.
They warned workers not to be intimidated or misled into suspending the strike based on what they described as an incorrect interpretation of the court ruling.
Reaffirming their stance, the unions stated that the industrial action will continue until their demands are fully addressed, adding that portraying the court order as a blanket injunction against all FCT workers is inaccurate.
The case has been adjourned to March 25, 2026, for hearing of the Motion on Notice.
