Abuja — In a rare judicial rebuke of institutional foot-dragging, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay a ₦620,000 fine for deliberately disrupting proceedings in a high-stakes employment dispute involving 62 former employees.
Presiding Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae delivered the sanction on Thursday after finding that the apex bank’s eleventh-hour legal manoeuvre, filing and serving a fresh motion mere hours before a scheduled hearing, had needlessly derailed what should have been a substantive session.
The motion, submitted by the CBN on 26 November and served in court on the same morning, sought to convert the claimants’ originating summons to a writ of summons, because “facts are in dispute.” But the court disagreed.
Representing the former staff, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ola Olanipekun argued compellingly that the nature of the case squarely fitted the originating summons procedure under the NICN Rules—a pathway designed for matters where facts are largely undisputed and legal interpretation is key.
“What we faced this morning was not a procedural oversight,” Olanipekun told the court, “but a calculated tactic to reset the clock once again.” His request for costs ₦10,000 per claimant, totalling ₦620,000, was promptly granted by Justice Obaseki-Osaghae, who declared: “Cost follows event.” She further directed that the sum be paid in full before the next hearing date, a pointed instruction underscoring her impatience with procedural gamesmanship.
The Human Story Behind the Legal Battle
At its core, this case is not just about court calendars or filing deadlines; it’s about institutional loyalty, accountability, and the fate of specialists who say they were punished for doing their jobs too well.
The 62 claimants, many of whom were instrumental in establishing the CBN’s now-defunct Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), allege their dismissals—formally issued on 23 May 2024 under the banner of “Re-Organisation” were neither fair nor lawful. They argue the sackings contravene both the CBN Act 2007 and the bank’s own internal HR policies, and insist their termination was punitive, aimed squarely at dismantling a unit that had become inconveniently effective.
Their CVs tell a compelling story: these were professionals who helped investigate the infamous $11 billion P&ID arbitration fraud; uncovered ₦3.18 billion hidden by a bank agent; and exposed gaming firms siphoning foreign exchange through unauthorised repatriation channels. Yet, rather than commendation, they received termination letters and silence.
Now, they are seeking reinstatement, full back-pay, and a judicial declaration that their disengagement was null and void. Their legal team has also applied to consolidate the 62 separate suits for efficiency, a request still pending.
Notably, the matter has already weathered earlier turbulence: last year, NICN President Justice Benedict Kanyip recused himself upon realising that a lawyer in the CBN’s legal consortium, from D.D. Dodo & Co. was his in-law, a move widely praised for upholding judicial propriety.
A Warning Shot to Public Institutions
Thursday’s ruling sends a firm message not only to the CBN, but to all public institutions that procedural delay will no longer be tolerated as a default tactic in labour disputes. Justice Obaseki-Osaghae’s swift imposition of cost underscores a growing judicial intolerance for what many lawyers privately call “dilatory conduct.”
It also raises broader questions: When does organisational restructuring become retaliatory realignment? And how does a central bank reconcile its mandate for systemic stability with internal volatility that unsettles even its own workforce?
The next hearing is set for 12 January 2026, over a year away. Whether that gap reflects genuine complexity or, as claimants fear, another window for attrition, remains to be seen. But one thing is now clear: the court is watching, and it is keeping score.
Source: Punch Nigeria
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