PICTORIAL: FCTA Workers, NLC Picket Industrial Court As Wike Sues Unions Over Strike

Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, stormed the premises of the National Industrial Court in Abuja, joined by leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in protest against what they described as persistent violations of their rights by the FCTA management and political leadership.

The demonstration, which drew hundreds of workers carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Wike Must Go!”, “Abuja No Be Rivers!”, “Pay Promotion Arrears”, and “Enough is Enough”, came as the court began hearing a suit filed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, against the striking unions.

“We are not slaves in our own city. Abuja workers deserve respect and fair treatment,” said one protesting staff member who joined the picket line outside the court gates.

The NLC, which declared full support for the strike, said the industrial action was justified due to the “continuous neglect of workers’ welfare, unpaid entitlements, and suppression of labour rights” by the FCTA leadership.

“This strike is not about politics—it’s about justice and dignity for Abuja workers,” an NLC representative told reporters at the court premises.

The indefinite strike, declared last week by the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), has crippled operations across major government offices in the FCT, affecting administrative and environmental services.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic twist, Minister Wike and the FCTA dragged the union to court over the industrial action. The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, lists JUAC President Rifkatu Iortyer and Secretary-General Abdullahi Saleh as defendants, sued in their representative capacities.

the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division, on Monday, adjourned the case to Tuesday.

“We will not be intimidated by court cases or threats. We only want what is rightfully ours,” another JUAC member vowed.

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