Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), on Monday, locked out judges, lawyers, staff and litigants from accessing courts in Abuja in compliance with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress’s directive.

Checks at the Maitama Division of the FCT, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, showed that court activities were totally paralysed as JUSUN members positioned themselves outside the locked gates.

Private security guards and few police officers were around the gates as lawyers, litigants, visitors, including journalists, were not allowed into the courts.

Samuel Ikpatt, chairman of the FHC chapter of JUSUN, in an interview, said the union was in total compliance with the directive of the NLC that workers should down tool beginning from today.

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

According to him, no court is sitting.

When asked if lawyers were allowed to enter the building, he said, “There is nobody inside the courts because we are in total compliance with the directive.”

On when the gate would be opened, Mr Ikpatt said, “Until when we get directive from our parent body, which is tye NLC.”

Mohammed Danjuma-Yusuf, who is the treasurer of JUSUN chapter of Court of Appeal, said they were complying with the NLC’s directive.

“So Court of Appeal is in total shutdown; 100 per cent compliance. All the 20 branches of Court of Appeal is in total shutdown. Nobody is allowed in, even judges,” he said.

Mr Danjuma-Yusuf said the gate would be opened when the union received a directive from the national headquarters of NLC.

NLC and TUC had, on May 31, declared an indefinite strike, beginning June 3.

The organised labour decided to embark on industrial action after the negotiations between them and the government over the minimum wage of workers was deadlock.

(NAN)