Form 48 was obtained on behalf of Wike by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of Bar and Bench Chambers, Abuja, warning the workers to comply with court orders or face imprisonment as provided by law.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approached the National Industrial Court seeking the committal of striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to prison over alleged disobedience of court orders.
The workers resumed their industrial action despite a court order issued on January 27, restraining them from embarking on any strike pending the determination of a suit filed against them by the FCT Minister.
In response to what he described as a flagrant disregard for the court’s directive, Wike obtained Form 48 a legal notice outlining the consequences of disobeying a court order to be served on the striking workers.
The Form 48 was procured on Wike’s behalf by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of Bar and Bench Chambers, Abuja, warning the workers to comply with the court order or face imprisonment as provided by law.
The document, titled “Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Order of Court,” cautions that failure to obey the order would amount to contempt of court.
Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Sublimi of the National Industrial Court had, on January 27, ordered workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to suspend their industrial action pending the hearing and determination of an originating summons filed against them by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The order followed an application brought by the minister through his counsel, Ogwu James Onoja, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), seeking a directive compelling the striking workers to return to work.
In the suit, Wike named the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as respondents.
In his ruling, Justice Sublimi stressed that all forms of industrial action, including strikes, must be suspended once a trade dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court. Citing Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Dispute Act, the judge noted that such suspension is necessary to allow for the proper resolution of disputes, adding that strikes must cease once proceedings are initiated by originating summons.
He further warned that failure to comply with Section 18 of the Act could attract sanctions, emphasising that the public interest in maintaining industrial harmony outweighs any inconvenience arising from the suspension of the strike.
Despite the court order, the workers failed to comply four days later, citing a notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal against Justice Sublimi’s ruling as justification for resuming the strike.
However, Wike’s legal team dismissed the claim, insisting that “unless there is an express order of court staying the execution of the Industrial Court’s ruling, the workers have no basis to resume the strike,” and urging them to “be law-abiding citizens and avoid incurring the wrath of the court.”
The senior lawyer added in court filings: “Court orders are not made in vain. They are made to be obeyed for sanity to prevail in society.”
Following the grant of the restraining order, Justice Sublimi adjourned the substantive suit to March 25, 2026, for hearing.
The FCTA and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) workers had commenced the strike on January 19, shutting down activities across Abuja over what they described as unmet demands by the Federal Government. The action disrupted operations across all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals.