The Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, has revealed that a wave of internal sabotage totaling 22 separate incidents led to the recent restructuring at the Dangote Refinery, including the dismissal of hundreds of workers.
Speaking during a press briefing at the refinery in Lagos on Friday, Edwin clarified that the decision was not linked to labour union agitation, specifically rejecting claims of a dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
“Allegations of conflict with PENGASSAN are entirely false,” Edwin stated. “In meetings with the minister and security agencies, we made it clear there’s no issue with the union. What we’ve had are repeated attempts to sabotage operations 22 in total including attempted fires and efforts to damage critical equipment.”
He added that these incidents were well-documented and that the refinery’s advanced monitoring systems had helped prevent serious damage. “Fortunately, this is a state-of-the-art facility with excellent fire protection. Whenever there’s an attempt, the system responds immediately.”
In a show of regional backing, King Bubaraye Dakolo, the traditional ruler of Ibedaowei Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, praised the Dangote Refinery as a vital solution to Nigeria’s long-standing oil sector inefficiencies.
Dakolo lauded the refinery’s role in enabling local processing of crude oil, describing it as a long-awaited step toward correcting decades of economic distortion caused by over-reliance on fuel imports.
“For years, we’ve watched our crude shipped out and re-imported at huge costs. Now, with the Dangote Refinery, we finally have hope,” he said. “This is the kind of infrastructure that can reshape our economy and uplift the Niger Delta.”
The monarch urged all levels of government, the private sector, and labour unions to support efforts toward energy self-sufficiency.
Dakolo also criticised past union actions, notably the 2007 strike led by PENGASSAN, which he said derailed the sale of majority stakes in the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries to Bluestar Oil — a consortium backed by Aliko Dangote.
“Those refineries could have been operational since 2007,” he lamented. “Instead, we lost 18 years and spent over $18 billion without results. That mistake must not be repeated.”
He further challenged claims that the Dangote Refinery is monopolising the market, noting that over 30 refinery licenses have been issued across Nigeria, including to other major players like BUA.
“The real issue isn’t competition — it’s that some prefer quick profits from fuel imports rather than investing in local refining,” Dakolo said.
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