The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, declared an indefinite strike action in Osun State yesterday over the seizure of their clothing allowance, suspension of their colleagues, and the Chief Judge’s unwillingness to relax the ban on worker training.
The protesting workers and journalists were tear-gassed by police stationed at the High Court entrance in the Oke-Fia neighbourhood of the state capital.
The judicial workers who attempted to picket the Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Ojo, from entering the High Court were violently dispersed.
Police operatives at the entrance to the premises, commanded by SP Akinloye Oyegade, attempted to deter workers from picketing the CJ’s office.
Efforts by operators to convince some workers not to resort to violence, however, were futile as the police fired teargas canisters to disperse the crown, including journalists.
One of the cops was overheard telling his colleagues that he was going to target the media in order to keep them from reporting the situation.
The workers later reassembled outside the Customary Court of Appeal offices on Estate Road, where their leaders addressed the media and declared an indefinite strike in the sector.
cc: Vanguard Ng
