Law officers in the Kwara State Ministry of Justice have commenced an indefinite strike over the alleged non-payment of statutory allowances and the failure of the state government to implement the approved harmonisation of their salaries, allowances and conditions of service with those of magistrates in the state judiciary.
The industrial action was announced by the Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), Kwara State Chapter, in a notice made available to journalists in Ilorin on Monday. The notice, signed by the association’s Acting Chairman, Kehinde Ayorinde, directed all members to immediately withdraw their services until the state government addresses the outstanding welfare issues.
According to Ayorinde, the strike took effect on July 27, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. He stated that members of the association would suspend all official duties indefinitely pending a satisfactory response from the government to their demands.
The association accused the state government of failing to pay the outstanding balance of its members’ 2020 furniture allowance, as well as robe allowances for 2024, 2025 and 2026. It also alleged that the government had yet to implement the long-approved harmonisation of salaries, allowances and conditions of service for state counsel with those of magistrates, despite previous commitments to do so.
LOAN noted that the unresolved issues persisted despite several appeals to the governor and the Office of the Head of Service. The association recalled that government representatives had given assurances after a three-day warning strike in October 2025, but said no meaningful action had been taken to fulfil the promises or resolve the grievances of its members.
The law officers stressed that they perform essential responsibilities within the justice sector, including prosecuting criminal cases, providing legal advisory services to ministries and government agencies, drafting legislation and recovering public revenue through the prosecution of tax defaulters. They argued that the continued neglect of their welfare could adversely affect the effective administration of justice in the state.
The association maintained that the indefinite strike became necessary after all avenues for dialogue failed to produce the desired outcome. It reiterated that the industrial action would remain in force until the Kwara State Government takes concrete steps to meet its demands and address the long-standing issues relating to the welfare and conditions of service of law officers in the Ministry of Justice.
