Judiciary activities were crippled in Nigeria’s capital on Monday as striking members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) locked the gates of key courts, including the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal headquarters, preventing judges, lawyers, and litigants from accessing the premises.
This action came despite an earlier statement issued on Sunday declaring that the judiciary would not join the nationwide strike. The shutdown left many stranded at court gates, including legal practitioners and court staff who expected normal proceedings.
A visit by The PUNCH to the Federal High Court premises on Monday morning confirmed that the facility was under lock and key, with no entry permitted. A similar situation was observed at the Court of Appeal headquarters.
JUSUN had issued a communiqué dated May 30, directing all its federal chapters to begin an industrial action from midnight on June 1. The strike, according to the union, followed a series of “unproductive” meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment.
Among JUSUN’s key demands are the payment of a five-month wage award, implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, and the approval of a 25% to 35% salary increase for judiciary workers.
However, the National Judicial Council (NJC) chapter of JUSUN had on Sunday announced that the Supreme Court, the NJC, and the Federal High Court were exempt from the strike. The announcement, made through the NJC’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joel Ebiloma, cited the intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who had secured a two-week grace period for government authorities to meet the union’s demands.
Despite the exemption notice, the industrial action still took effect in Abuja, sparking confusion among court users and raising concerns about internal coordination within the union’s chapters.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the NJC nor the Chief Justice’s office had issued a follow-up clarification, and judiciary operations in the Federal Capital Territory remained paralyzed.
