FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has filed for contempt proceedings to commit striking Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) workers to prison, accusing them of disobeying a National Industrial Court order to suspend their industrial action.
The workers launched an indefinite strike on January 19, 2026, over unresolved welfare demands, halting operations across FCTA offices, secretariats, agencies, and area councils in Abuja.
On January 27, 2026, Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi granted an interlocutory injunction directing the unions to immediately halt the strike pending the hearing of Wike's suit against the action.
Despite service of the order, the workers reportedly resumed picketing and disruptions days later. In response, Wike's legal team led by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja (SAN) secured and served a Form 48 notice on January 29, 2026.
Signed by court Registrar Olajide Balogun, the notice warns:"If after service of this notice you disobey the order of this Honourable Court delivered on the 27th day of January 2026 by Hon. Justice E. D. Sublimi of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison."
Wike's counsel argued that court orders are binding unless stayed by a higher court, and no such stay exists.
They rejected union claims that a notice of appeal or other factors excused non-compliance, citing Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, which bars industrial action during pending court proceedings.
The court emphasized that halting the strike protects public interest and industrial harmony over short-term worker inconveniences.
The main suit remains adjourned to March 25, 2026, for full hearing. Wike's push for contempt including potential imprisonment highlights escalating friction between the FCTA leadership and unions amid ongoing grievances, with the minister signaling zero tolerance for judicial defiance.
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