Courts in Nigeria have been shut down as members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) joined the nationwide strike
The National Industrial Court, where labour disputes are usually resolved was also under lock and key amid fears that the government may be seeking an order to arrest the strike
From the Supreme Court to the Court of Appeal it was like ghost town
The Federal High Court and the FCT High Court were also locked, with Lawyers who had come to have their cases heard, being barred from entering the premises.
As at Sunday, there were moves suggesting the Federal Government may initiate a case to stop the strike
This followed a letter by the Federal Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi warning that the proposed strike is illegal, due to non-compliance with statutory requirements and a court order issued in June 2023.
The impact of the court closure will be felt by both lawyers and litigants, slowing down the already slow judicial system in the country
For the judges, they would have to deal with a pile of pending cases, and pressure to assign new dates
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
