Court Penalises CBN Over Delay in Hearing Case Of 62 Dismissed Employees

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja division, on Thursday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay a fine of N620,000 for delaying proceedings in the cases filed by 62 former employees contesting their dismissal.

Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae delivered the ruling after counsel to the ex-staff members, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), raised concerns that the bank’s late filing of a fresh application resulted in an avoidable adjournment on a day fixed for substantial hearing.

The 62 disengaged workers, who have filed separate but related suits, are asking the court to overturn the termination letters issued to them on May 23, 2024 under a directive titled “Re-Organisation.” They argue that their sack violated the CBN Act 2007 and internal HR policies, making it unlawful. The claimants seek reinstatement, payment of withheld salaries and entitlements, and complete nullification of the termination.

Their lawyer has also filed processes seeking the consolidation of the suits, which previously encountered procedural delays.

In 2024, the President of the NICN, Justice Benedict Kanyip, withdrew from the matter after discovering that a member of the CBN’s legal team from D.D. Dodo & Co. is related to him by marriage. Many of the affected workers previously served in the bank’s dissolved Economic Intelligence Unit and maintain that they were unfairly removed despite the unit’s major contributions.

Among the unit’s recorded achievements were investigations into the P&ID $11bn arbitration crisis, recovery of N3.18bn hidden by a bank agent, and probes into gaming companies engaged in large-scale, unauthorised FX repatriation. The claimants insist their termination was punitive, arbitrary and intended to dismantle a unit credited with critical intelligence outcomes.

During Thursday’s session, Olanipekun said both sides were ready to move forward with the originating summons and the CBN’s outstanding preliminary objection until the bank introduced a fresh motion, filed on November 26 and served that same morning. The new application sought to convert the suit from an originating summons to a writ of summons on the argument that facts were disputed.

He urged the court to disregard the motion, describing it as a calculated attempt to stall progress. Olanipekun requested costs of N10,000 for each of the 62 claimants, amounting to N620,000.

In response, counsel to the CBN, Wilson Inam (SAN), confirmed filing the motion and apologised for the late service. He maintained that the changes sought were necessary due to factual conflicts requiring a different mode of trial.

Justice Obaseki-Osaghae upheld the argument of the applicants, noting that the bank’s fresh filing disrupted the day’s scheduled proceedings. She granted the cost request and ordered that the payment be made before the next sitting.