The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order preventing the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association from shutting down or disrupting production at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Justice E.D. Subilim granted the interim injunction on Wednesday after hearing an ex-parte motion filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, MRS Oil Nigeria Limited, and MRS Oil and Gas Company Limited.
The order temporarily bars NUPENG, its members, agents, and privies from embarking on any industrial action or strike that could cripple refinery operations, pending the determination of a motion on notice. The judge also restrained the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association from joining any strike action “orchestrated by NUPENG” against the three companies.
In their application, argued by senior advocate George Ibrahim, SAN, on behalf of Ogwu James Onoja SAN & Co, the applicants warned that any disruption would cause irreparable damage to ongoing production and to the wider petroleum supply chain.
Justice Subilim said she was persuaded by the “serious issue to be tried” and noted that the balance of convenience favored granting the interim relief. She emphasized that without the injunction, the plaintiffs could suffer significant economic loss.
“The restraining order shall last for seven days,” the judge ruled, adding that the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association and its members must continue rendering petroleum trucking services to the refinery, the co-applicants, and the Nigerian public until the dispute is resolved.
The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/279/2024, invoked Order 22 Rules 1–3, Order 17 Rules 1 and 4 of the Industrial Court’s rules, and Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution. A certified copy of the enrolled order indicates the case file will be remitted to the Court’s President for reassignment to another judge following the end of the vacation period.
The Dangote Refinery, hailed as Africa’s largest oil-processing facility, is widely regarded as central to Nigeria’s energy security and economic diversification drive. Any prolonged disruption to its operations would have far-reaching implications for fuel supply and pricing across the country.