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 related parties from disrupting the gas and crude supply to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Justice Emmanuel Sublim, who presided over the case, granted the injunction following an ex-parte application by the refinery's legal team.
The court emphasized that the strike action planned by PENGASSAN, aimed at crippling refinery operations by cutting gas and crude supplies, could cause irreparable damage to Nigeria's economy. Consequently, the court warned the union to cease the strike activities immediately to maintain operational stability at the refinery.
Additionally, the court restrained key regulatory bodies the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) from implementing any directives that would halt gas and crude supplies to the refinery.
The ruling underscores the critical importance of Dangote Refinery operations to the national economy and ordered that the restraining order be served on all defendants promptly. The substantive hearing for this motion is scheduled for October 13, 2025, as the court seeks to uphold the status quo and prevent further disruptions.
This legal development follows industrial action by PENGASSAN protesting alleged mass terminations of staff who opted to join the union, which Dangote Refinery has denied, attributing layoffs to routine restructuring for operational safety and efficiency.