Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has requested an order from the National Industrial Court to imprison the striking employees of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for allegedly disobeying court orders.
The workers’ disobedience to the court’s order stemmed from their decision to resume their strike in spite of the court’s January 27 order to halt it until the outcome of the lawsuit filed against them by the FCT Minister.
In order to show his disapproval of the workers’ disregard for the Industrial Court’s ruling, the FCT Minister obtained Form 48, a court document outlining the penalties for disobeying the order, to be delivered on the striking workers.
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On behalf of Wike, legal expert Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of the Bar and Bench Chambers in Abuja, secured form 48 to force the employees to follow court orders or face jail time as required by law.
The form 48 is titled “Notice of Consequence of disobedience of order of Court” and would be followed with contempt charges.
It reads, “Take note that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of Honourable Justice E. D Sublimi of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria delivered 27th day of January 2026, you will be guilty of the contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison “.
Mr. Olajide Balogun, the Industrial Court Registrar, signed the notice of consequences for disobeying the court decision dated January 29.
On January 27, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) employees were ordered by Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi of the National Industrial Court to halt their industrial action while Wike’s original summons was heard and decided.
The judge’s decision came after Wike, acting through Ogwu James Onoja SAN, requested a court order requiring the striking FCTA employees to resume their jobs.
Justice Subilim had held that industrial action, including strikes, must be suspended once a dispute has been referred to the National Industrial Court.
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The judge had further stated that failing to comply with Section 18 of the Act may attract punishment.
He underlined that any inconvenience resulting from the strike’s suspension is outweighed by the public interest in preserving industrial peace.
However, the employees have not yet respected or complied with the court’s ruling, four days after it was served to them.
Although the striking workers premised their resumption of strike on the notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal against the verdict of Justice Sublimi, Wike’s legal team denied the argument.
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