Around 70 former employees of Premium Pension Limited (PPL) have taken the company to the National Industrial Court in Abuja, challenging their disengagement and alleging that the firm failed to pay their gratuities and other due entitlements.

In the suit, the claimants argue that their termination was unlawful and carried out without justification, describing the company’s action as malicious and done in bad faith. They stated that being dismissed without their due benefits—despite repeated requests—has subjected them to significant hardship.

The case 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 employment was allegedly wrongfully terminated. Premium Pension Limited is listed as the sole defendant.

The claimants are asking the court to grant eight declaratory orders and nine monetary claims. They want the court to affirm that valid employment contracts existed between them and the defendant from the dates of their appointments until their disengagement.

They also seek a declaration that their sudden termination was wrongful, illegal, and invalid due to PPL’s failure to provide adequate notice or pay salaries in lieu of notice.

Additionally, they are requesting an order compelling PPL to pay a lump sum amount equivalent to three months’ gross emoluments, as stated in their disengagement letters. The court is also being asked to order payment of the exit/gratuity benefits previously communicated to staff upon approval by the company’s board.

The claimants further demand full settlement of all entitlements without any deductions for what the company described as liabilities.

In their filed statement of facts, the former employees noted that although they received their disengagement letters on August 4, 2025, the letters were backdated to July 29, 2025, and made effective from August 1, 2025. They emphasized that they had resumed work in August before receiving the letters and were therefore entitled to the annual education subsidy normally paid that month.

They allege that backdating the letters was a deliberate attempt by PPL to deny them earned benefits and proper notice or payment in lieu of notice. They also claim the company withheld their profit-sharing, performance bonuses, and productivity bonuses despite multiple demands.

According to them, PPL’s actions have caused significant financial loss, emotional distress, and hardship for the disengaged workers and their dependents. They added that while some staff previously received full gratuity and exit packages, the company has now refused to extend the same treatment to them.

The claimants said they made several follow-up attempts through former board chairmen—​Aliyu Abdurrahnan Dikko, Ibrahim Alhassan Babayo, and Arc Yunusa Yakubu—but all efforts yielded no result.