Courtrooms at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja were locked on Monday, halting all judicial activities and leaving judges, lawyers, and litigants stranded outside the premises.
This development comes in spite of an earlier statement by court authorities suggesting that workers would not participate in the ongoing nationwide strike declared by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
By early Monday morning, both court complexes remained inaccessible, effectively grounding scheduled legal proceedings. Eyewitnesses reported that workers blocked all entry points, a move that caught many court users by surprise.
The industrial action followed a JUSUN communiqué dated May 30, in which the union directed all federal chapters to embark on an indefinite strike starting midnight on June 1.
In the statement signed by Acting General Secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, JUSUN attributed the strike to the federal government’s failure to address critical welfare issues. These include the non-payment of a five-month wage award, implementation of the ₦70,000 proposed national minimum wage, and a long-awaited 25% to 35% salary increment for judiciary workers.
The union also cited stalled negotiations with the Minister of Labour and Employment as a contributing factor, describing recent meetings as “unproductive.”
As the strike gains traction, the impact is already being felt in Nigeria’s capital, with legal stakeholders urging urgent intervention to avert a complete breakdown of judicial services nationwide.
Sources: Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN),Federal High Court, Abuja, Court of Appeal, Abuja
