Courtrooms across Ondo State were shut down on Friday as members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ondo chapter, embarked on an indefinite strike, crippling legal proceedings throughout the state.
From early morning, court gates—including those of the State High Court and Magistrates’ Court in Akure, were securely locked, barring judges, lawyers, and litigants from entering and effectively halting all judicial operations.
Confirming the industrial action, the state JUSUN chairman, Oluwafemi Afolabi, told journalists that the union had issued a seven-day warning to the state government, which expired without a resolution.
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“All members have been instructed to withdraw from their duties beginning today, June 13, 2025, and comply fully with the strike protocol until further notice,” Afolabi stated.
He explained that the strike action covers every court within the state’s 18 local government areas and was triggered by the government’s failure to honour sections of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that guarantee financial independence for the judiciary.
“The government has not implemented the agreed terms related to judiciary funding autonomy. As a result, all courts in the state are now closed,” he added.
JUSUN had earlier demanded that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa take urgent steps to implement the MoU, warning that failure to do so would lead to the shutdown of courts statewide.
In a statement signed by JUSUN Secretary, Kehinde Alade, the union expressed disappointment over what it described as the government’s persistent failure to implement key aspects of the MOU.
“Regrettably, the state government has reneged on certain parts of the agreements outlined in the MOU.
“This continuous refusal by the state government to honour these agreements has had adverse effects on our members.
“Having waited aimlessly since 2015, we hereby issue a 7-calendar-day ultimatum to the government to honour the reneged parts of the agreements in the MOU within 7 calendar days upon receipt of a letter,” the statement reads.
As of press time, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Kayode Ajulo, were unsuccessful.
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However, a source close to Ajulo confirmed that a recent meeting held on Wednesday between government representatives and union leaders ended without any resolution.
“The meeting ended in a deadlock because both the state government and the union could not come to a better agreement,” he said.
