The leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have allegedly evaded service of a court order restraining them from embarking on a planned strike against Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
The order was secured on Monday by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), George Ibrahim, of Ogwu James Onoja Law Firm in Abuja.
In his ruling, Justice Emmanuel Danjuma Subilim held that the balance of convenience was in favour of the claimant, as the continuation of the strike could irreparably damage Dangote Refinery’s operations and cripple the provision of essential services to Nigerians.
He stated that, in the interest of justice, the defendants must be restrained to preserve industrial peace and ensure the continuous supply of essential services pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The court ordered that the restraining order and motion on notice be served on the defendants. However, counsel to Dangote Refinery, James Onoja (SAN), informed the court that all attempts to serve the order had failed, as the defendants claimed to be on strike.
The court specifically barred the defendants from cutting crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery. The order also restrained them from embarking on any industrial action intended to cripple operations, block roads, obstruct vehicular movement, or shut down activities of Dangote Refinery or its partners, as contained in PENGASSAN’s directive dated September 26, 2025.
The restraining order will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
