Court Stops PENGASSAN, NNPCL, Others from Cutting Gas Supply to Dangote Refinery
Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Subilim of the National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an interim order restraining the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) from embarking on its threatened industrial action against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The order, PulseNets learnt, followed an ex-parte application filed by the refinery on Monday. Justice Subilim specifically barred PENGASSAN from halting crude oil and gas supply to the refinery, pending the hearing of a substantive motion.
Other defendants listed in the suit include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Dangote Refinery’s Application
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, George Ibrahim, who argued on behalf of the refinery, told PulseNets that the motion sought an interim injunction to stop PENGASSAN,
“its members, agents, servants, representatives or assigns from ordering or directing the stoppage of crude and gas supply to the refinery or engaging in any industrial action aimed at obstructing operations, blocking access roads or crippling business activities until the motion on notice is determined.”
He further applied for an order restraining the 2nd to 4th defendants from
“implementing or giving effect to PENGASSAN’s directives to cut off supply or in any way participating in the strike plan with the intent of frustrating the refinery’s operations and business continuity.”
Background to the Dispute
Ibrahim explained that Dangote Refinery is a licensed petroleum production and distribution company tasked with providing essential energy services for Nigerians. According to him,
“recent acts of sabotage by some employees at the refinery had created serious safety and health risks, prompting management to reorganize operations and relieve a few staff members of their jobs in a circular dated September 25, 2025.”
The senior lawyer reported that by September 26, 2025, online claims surfaced alleging that workers were dismissed because they joined the union. The refinery, in a statement, strongly denied the allegation. Management clarified that it recognized employees’ constitutional right to unionize and emphasized that it had over 3,000 Nigerians on its workforce, with only a negligible number affected by the reorganization linked to sabotage and safety concerns.
Nevertheless, PulseNets obtained a letter dated September 26, 2025, from PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Comrade Lamumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, addressed to the Minister of Petroleum and Gas. In the letter, the union warned that it would cripple the refinery if the affected staff, described as over 800, were not reinstated.
On the same day, PENGASSAN also issued a press release branding the layoffs as “anti-labour practices,” claiming the workers were punished for union membership. Dangote Refinery refuted this as misleading.
According to Ibrahim, despite the clarification,
“PENGASSAN provoked its members in the licensees of the 2nd to 4th defendants to halt supply of crude and gas to Dangote Refinery in order to paralyze operations.”
He added that the union was determined to make good its threat, stressing that unless the court intervened, Nigeria risked being thrown back into an energy crisis.
“The refinery was constructed at over 20 billion US dollars to address Nigeria’s longstanding energy problems and is already contributing significantly to the economy. Any strike action would jeopardize energy stability, endanger livelihoods, and harm the economy,” Ibrahim argued.
Court’s Ruling
In his brief ruling, Justice Subilim held that the balance of convenience favored the refinery since allowing the strike would irreparably harm its business and disrupt essential services to the Nigerian public.
Also Read: PENGASSAN Threatens to Shut Down Dangote Refinery Over Mass Sack of Workers
“It is in the interest of justice to restrain the respondents so as to preserve industrial peace and ensure continuous delivery of essential energy services to Nigerians, pending the determination of the substantive suit,” the judge declared.
The restraining order, Justice Subilim ruled, will subsist for seven days. He directed that all defendants be served immediately with the order and motion on notice. The matter was then adjourned to October 13, 2025, for further hearing.
