National Industrial Court restrains NLC, TUC from protest in FCT

The National Industrial Court has issued an interim order restraining the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and three others from engaging in any form of industrial action or protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Emmanuel Subilim, ruling on an ex-parte application filed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the FCT Administration, granted the interim order pending the hearing of the substantive motion.

The court directed that the first to fifth respondents, including the unions and their agents, refrain from any strike action, while the fifth to ninth defendants, comprising security agencies, are to ensure that law and order is maintained.

Counsel to Wike and the FCTA, Ogwu Onoja, in the motion, stated that the Chairman of the FCT Council had mobilized union members for a mass protest scheduled for February 3, in breach of a prior court order.

Onoja further noted that following the court ruling on January 27, the unions issued a statement directing members to intensify and sustain the strike, despite legal restrictions. He added that the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) also circulated a directive instructing employees to continue the industrial action, a move the government contends could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the nation’s capital.

The court has adjourned the matter for further hearing on February 10, 2026.