The National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja has restrained the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from proceeding with the strike scheduled to commence on January 12, 2026.
The order was issued on Friday by Justice Emmanuel Subilim following an emergency application filed by the Federal Government through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/06/2026, seeks to prevent the industrial action pending the determination of the substantive case before the court.
During proceedings, the Director of Civil Litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Maimuna Lami Shiru, appeared in court alongside a team of government lawyers and urged the court to restrain the doctors from embarking on the strike while discussions and legal processes continue.
Those listed as defendants in the suit include the National Association of Resident Doctors, its National President, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleman, and the association’s Secretary General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim.
Justice Subilim, after listening to submissions from the Federal Government’s legal team, granted the request, effectively barring resident doctors nationwide from commencing the planned strike action until the matter is fully heard and determined by the court.
