About 70 former employees of Premium Pension Limited (PPL) have taken the company to court, challenging their dismissal and the alleged non-payment of gratuities and other entitlements.

The lawsuit was filed before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja. The claimants argue that their dismissal was illegal, unjust, and carried out with malice and bad faith. They also claim that the company’s refusal to pay their earned benefits has caused them significant hardship.

The suit was filed by Ibrahim Usman Raji, Emmanuel Folorunsho, Mustapha Saidu Sulaiman, and Muhammed Baba Ibrahim, representing themselves and 60 other affected former employees. PPL is listed as the sole defendant.

The claimants are seeking eight declaratory orders and nine monetary claims, including:

• Recognition that valid contracts of employment existed between the employees and PPL until their dismissal.
• A declaration that the abrupt termination of their contracts was wrongful, illegal, and carried out without adequate notice or salary in lieu of notice.
• Payment of gross emoluments equivalent to three months’ salary, as stated in their disengagement letters.
• Full payment of exit/gratuity packages previously approved by the company’s board.
• Payment of all entitlements without deductions for alleged liabilities.

The former employees stated that their dismissal letters, dated August 4, 2025 but backdated to July 29, 2025, were intended to deny them certain benefits, including the annual education subsidy and other earned bonuses. They also claim the company has refused to pay profit shares, performance bonuses, and productivity bonuses despite repeated demands.

According to the ex-staff, the actions of PPL have caused them and their dependents financial hardship, emotional distress, and significant losses. They noted that while the company had previously paid gratuities and exit packages to other staff members, it has now deliberately withheld payments from them.

The claimants further stated that previous efforts to resolve the issue through the company’s former board chairmen—Aliyu Abdurrahnan Dikko, Ibrahim Alhassan Babayo, and Arc Yunusa Yakubu—were unsuccessful.