Workers in north west states also defied the strike action ordered by the Ayuba Waba faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over fuel price increase.

Federal and state workers in Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Kebbi reported to their duty posts in defiance of the order.

Reports from the six states indicated that socio-economic activities were also going on, with schools, banks, markets, hospitals and other businesses fully opened.

In Sokoto, some civil servants said they would not join the strike because it would only aggravate current hardships in the country.

“Such strikes would only aggravate our situation; the NLC should have given the Federal Government the benefit of the doubt,’ Aliyu Musa, a worker at the Shehu Kangiwa Secretariat, said.

Mr Mathias Iliya, a federal worker said “no worker in his right senses will join the strike action.

“Nigerians should be fervently prayerful and patient with the Buhari administration as his intentions towards Nigerians are truly sincere.”

Mr El-Mustapha Sani, the Police spokesman in the state, said all Area and Divisional Commands had been put on red alert.

“The command had also made arrangements to fully patrol the state to protect lives, public and private property,” Sani said.

In Kaduna. civil servants and all businesses including motor parks were fully opened, with residents going about their normal business.

At the Kaduna State University, normal academic activity was going on with students taking lectures.

Workers of the institution have also fully turned out for work, and according to the university’s Public Relations Officer, Adama Jafar, there was no directive from any union to proceed on strike.

At the Olusegun Obasanjo State Secretariat, some of the workers interviewed said that they were not convinced with the NLC’s argument for the strike.

One of the workers, Hajiya Lami Bello said that the NLC should respect the decision of the National Industrial Court, which ordered the union not to proceed with the strike.