Abuja judiciary workers lock out judges, lawyers, others as NLC, TUC begin strike

Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, on Monday, locked out judges, lawyers, staff, and litigants from accessing courts in Abuja in compliance with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC’s directive.


The FCT High Court, Maitama; Federal High Court; Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, were all affected.

Court activities were paralysed as JUSUN members positioned themselves outside the heavily-locked gates.

Private security guards and a few police officers were also sighted around the court gates as lawyers, litigants, and visitors, including journalists, were not allowed entry into the courts’ premises.

‘It’s total compliance’
Comrade Samuel Ikpatt, Chairman of the FHC Chapter of JUSUN, said the union was in total compliance with the directive of the NLC that workers should down tools beginning today.


“We are the affiliate of NLC. So we are in total compliance with the strike action, including all our divisions,” he said.

According to him, no court is sitting.

When asked if lawyers are being allowed to gain access into the high-rise building, he said: “There is nobody inside the courts because we are in total compliance with the directive.”

On when the gate would be opened, Ikpatt said: “Until when we get directive from our parent body, which is the NLC.”

Also speaking, Comrade Mohammed Danjuma-Yusuf, the Treasurer of JUSUN chapter of Court of Appeal, said that they were complying with the NLC’s directive.

“So the Court of Appeal is in total shutdown. 100 percent compliance. All the 20 branches of the Court of Appeal are in total shutdown.

“Nobody is allowed in, even judges,” he said.


Danjuma-Yusuf said the gate would be opened when the union received a directive from the national headquarters of NLC.

Recall that the NLC and TUC had, on May 31, declared an indefinite strike, beginning from today, June 3.

The organised labour decided to embark on industrial action after the negotiations between them and the government over the minimum wage of workers ended in deadlock.