About 70 former employees of Premium Pension Limited (PPL) have taken the company to the National Industrial Court in Abuja, contesting their disengagement and accusing the firm of withholding their gratuity and other entitlements.

In the suit, the claimants argue that their termination was wrongful and carried out “for no reason, with malice and bad faith.” They contend that PPL’s refusal to settle their outstanding benefits, despite multiple requests, has subjected them to severe hardship.

The action was filed by four former staff members  Ibrahim Usman Raji, Emmanuel Folorunsho, Mustapha Saidu Sulaiman, and Muhammed Baba Ibrahim  who are suing on behalf of themselves and 60 others whose appointments were allegedly unlawfully terminated. Premium Pension Limited is named as the sole defendant.

The group is seeking eight declaratory orders and nine monetary claims. Among their prayers, they want the court to affirm that valid employment contracts existed between each claimant and PPL from the time they were hired until their disengagement.

They are also asking the court to declare their termination illegal for lack of adequate notice or salary in lieu, and for being executed without justification.

READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery Denies Claims Linking Fuel Price Drop to Tariff Suspension

They request an order compelling PPL to pay each claimant a lump sum equivalent to three months of gross emoluments, as stated in their disengagement letters.

Additionally, the claimants are seeking orders directing the company to pay all exit benefits and gratuity previously approved by PPL’s board, as well as full settlement of their entitlements without deductions for “purported liabilities.”

According to their statement of facts, all affected staff received disengagement letters dated July 29, 2025, and made effective from August 1, 2025 — although they were actually served the letters on August 4 after having resumed work for the month. Because education subsidy is paid annually in August, they argue they remain entitled to the benefit.

They allege that PPL deliberately backdated the termination letters to avoid paying earned benefits and to circumvent proper notice requirements. They further claim that the company has refused to release their profit share, performance bonuses, and productivity bonuses despite repeated demands.

The claimants maintain that PPL’s actions have inflicted financial loss, emotional distress, and severe hardship on them and their dependents. They also cite instances in which other employees received gratuity and exit packages, accusing the company of choosing not to extend similar treatment to them “out of sheer greed.”

They said they made several attempts through past board chairmen — Alhaji Aliyu Abdurrahnan Dikko, Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan Babayo, and Arc. Yunusa Yakubu — to resolve the issue, but all efforts proved unsuccessful.