The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has denied reports that it sacked its workers.
It insisted instead that the company is carrying out a reorganisation exercise to address acts of sabotage within the plant.
In a letter dated September 24, 2025, and signed by Femi Adekunle the Chief General Manager, Human Asset Management, the refinery said it was “constrained to carry out a total reorganisation of the plant” following “many recent cases of reported sabotage in different units of the Petroleum Refinery leading to major safety concerns.”
The letter directed affected employees to hand over company property to their line managers and await clearance before receiving entitlements, which the Finance Department was instructed to compute in line with their conditions of service.
“In view of the many recent cases of reported sabotage in different units of the Petroleum Refinery leading to major safety concerns, the Management is constrained to carry out a total re-organisation of the plant.
“As a consequence of this development, we wish to inform you that your services are no longer required, with effect from the eve of Thursday, the 25th September, 2025,” the letter read.
A senior official of the refinery, who spoke to Punch on Friday, confirmed the authenticity of the letter but dismissed suggestions that workers had been laid off en masse.
“Yes, the letter is correct. But the interpretation is wrong. The interpretation is that it affects some people because of certain things discovered in the refinery. It has nothing to do with unionism or anything like that,” the official said.
According to him, the move was designed to protect the refinery’s assets after repeated sabotage.
“It doesn’t mean they have been sacked. That is incorrect. What was done was to put a check in place. It is more like a clean-up in the system to check where those sabotage and leakages are coming from and then address them. As soon as the issues are addressed, they will be reabsorbed. That is why it is not a sack and that word wasn’t used,” he explained.
He added that the decision was executed abruptly to prevent those allegedly involved from concealing their actions.
“Some acts of sabotage have been noticed repeatedly and the company is only trying to safeguard its assets. Also, you cannot do things like this and give two weeks’ notice; otherwise, those in the act would cover up and complicate issues,” he said.
The official further stressed that refinery operations were ongoing, with both Nigerian and expatriate workers still active at the plant.
“As we speak, people are still working at the refinery. The people affected know themselves, and those who did not get the letter are not affected. Anyone who doesn’t have a hand in sabotage has nothing to worry about,” he noted.
However, spokesperson for Dangote Industries, Anthony Chiejina, did not respond to messages seeking clarification.
The refinery, which began production in 2024 amid high expectations of ending Nigeria’s decades-long dependence on imported petroleum products, has since faced operational challenges and labour disputes.
Recently, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) accused the company of “high-handedness” and warned against what it described as an emerging pattern of unfair labour practices.