By Femi Oyelola
The Principal District Court of Kaduna State has authorized the Commissioner of Police to reopen the gates of Kaduna State University (KASU) through designated officers and under the supervision of an authorized court official.
The order, which followed a motion ex parte filed by the university through its management and Governing Council, also directed the Commissioner of Police to break open any lock or remove any chain or other barrier securing the gates.
The motion, which was granted on November 10, also ordered the commissioner to use only such force as is reasonable and necessary to restore access to the campus for authorized staff and students.
According to the court, the order subsists pending the hearing of the motion on notice or “the interim order made by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in suit number NICN/ABJ/329/2026/.”
The management and Governing Council of KASU went to court seeking an interim injunction restraining unions from locking the gates of the university or preventing authorized staff and students from accessing the campus.
The unions listed as respondents are the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), along with their respective officials.
In an affidavit supporting the application, the chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Ibrahim Umar, said the National Industrial Court, Abuja Judicial Division, had, on November 5, 2026, issued an interim order restraining the unions from commencing, participating in, or giving effect to the industrial action.
He said the order, which was enrolled and issued under seal on November 6, directed the union to cease the strike pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before the court.
According to the affidavit, the court processes, including the interim order, were served on the respondents at 2:30pm on November 9, but the unions nevertheless went on strike, even after meeting with the university management.
The chairman of KASU’s Governing Council said the unions subsequently locked the university gates, staff offices, and classrooms, preventing authorized staff and students from accessing the affected facilities.
Umar said the development had disrupted the university’s academic and administrative activities, adding that the affected gates, offices, and classrooms remained locked as of the latest inspection.
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