Judicial Workers Union storm Lagos courts, drive-out colleagues

Some members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have stormed the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, and chased out workers from the court premises.

This comes after the national leader of JUSUN in a statement dated April 1 ordered the immediate shutdown of various courts across the country from Tuesday, April 6.

JUSUN had declared an indefinite strike to demand financial autonomy for the judiciary.

A source at the court told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that "executives of the union stormed the court premises and drove workers out of the place."

"They said we should not be here because an industrial action had commenced," the source added.

According to the union, it had at its last National Executive Meeting on March 13, 2021, in Abuja, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary

It had threatened to resume its suspended national strike if its demands were not met.

“Therefore, as a result of the public holiday on April 5, 2021, the strike action has been postponed to Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

“You are directed to shut down courts/departments in your states until further notice from the National Secretariat of JUSUN in Abuja,” the circular read in part.

Their agitation is to get financial independence for the nation’s judiciary.

The legal actions taken by the union led to January 14, 2014 judgment of Adeniyi Ademola, then a judge of the Federal High Court, abolishing the piecemeal funding of the state and federal courts by the executive.