Judges, lawyers shut out of court as JUSUN joins labour strike

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) barred judges, lawyers, staff, and litigants from entering courts in the federal capital territory (FCT), on Monday in compliance with the strike declared  by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

On Friday, NLC and TUC declared an indefinite strike over a new minimum wage and the recent hike in electricity tariffs.

On Monday, several workers were turned back at the gates of their respective offices in the FCT, the nation’s capital.

Workers were not allowed entry into the FCT high court in Maitama, the federal high court (FHC), the court of appeal, and the supreme court as JUSUN members locked all the gates.

NAN reports that Samuel Ikpatt, chairman of the FHC chapter of JUSUN, said the union was fully complying with the directive for workers to down tools.

“We are the affiliate of NLC. So we are in total compliance with the strike action, including all our divisions,” Ikpatt said.

“There is nobody inside the courts because we are in total compliance with the directive.”

He said the strike would continue until “we get directive from our parent body, which is the NLC”.

Also speaking, Mohammed Danjuma-Yusuf, treasurer of JUSUN at the court of appeal, said all appellate courts across the country are in total shutdown.

“So the court of appeal is in total shutdown; 100 percent compliance. All 20 branches of the court of appeal are in total shutdown. Nobody is allowed in, even judges,” Danjuma-Yusuf said.