The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an interim order restraining the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and other regulatory bodies from disrupting gas or crude oil supply to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim granted the order on Monday following an ex parte application filed by the refinery’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), George Ibrahim.
The ruling also affects the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), effectively barring them from any industrial action or supply cut related to the ongoing labour dispute.
Ibrahim told the court that recent acts of sabotage at the refinery posed serious safety risks, prompting a plant reorganisation that led to the termination of some staff. He insisted the layoffs were based solely on operational and safety concerns, not union affiliation.
He also refuted reports claiming the dismissals were due to employees joining PENGASSAN, stating the company respects workers’ constitutional rights to unionize. The refinery maintains that over 3,000 Nigerians remain in its workforce, and only a small fraction was affected by the recent restructuring.
The matter is expected to return to court for further hearing, while investigations and negotiations continue.
