Judges, lawyers locked out as judicial workers begins indefinite strike

In a surprising turn of events, the Federal High Court in Abuja was abruptly closed on Monday, leaving lawyers, court staff, and litigants stranded outside the premises.

This sudden closure stands in stark contrast to a statement released just a day earlier by court authorities, assuring Nigerians that judicial workers would not be participating in the ongoing nationwide strike.

However, when our correspondent visited the court complex early Monday morning, the gates were firmly locked, and no one—neither members of the public nor legal practitioners—was granted entry. The disruption also extended to the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja, where a similar scene unfolded.

The closure follows a communiqué issued on May 30 by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), directing its federal chapters to embark on an industrial action beginning midnight, June 1, in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) over ongoing disputes related to minimum wage and electricity tariff hikes.

In the communiqué signed by Acting General Secretary M.J. Akwashiki, JUSUN attributed the strike action to unproductive meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment.

The demands of the judiciary workers include the payment of a five-month wage award, implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, and a 25%/35% salary increase.

However, on Sunday, the National Judicial Council JUSUN chapter released a statement through its Public Relations Officer, Mr Joel Ebiloma, announcing that the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the NJC, and the Federal High Court would not be participating in the industrial strike.

The statement explained that the decision followed the intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

It added that a two-week grace period had been granted to the relevant authorities to address the union’s demands.