The Dangote refinery, in a statement by its management, described the order to cut gas supply to its facility by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, as illegal.
It also cautioned PENGASSAN to obey Nigerian laws in its operations, noting that PENGASSAN has no legal right to disrupt or interfere with the refinery’s contracts with third-party vendors for gas and crude oil supply.
The refinery said the association’s directive amounts to economic sabotage at multiple levels, citing the potential disruption of petroleum product supply, including aviation fuel, petrol, diesel, kerosene, and cooking gas.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery
“This is a brazen, albeit shocking display of lawlessness and criminality by PENGASSAN, absolutely no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its branches to “cut off” gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all. There is also no law in our statute books that would support or enable the PENGASSAN branches having to “cut off” gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all.
The statement added that the action constitutes a criminal conduct for PENGASSAN or its members to disrupt and/or interfere whatsoever in the contract between Dangote Refinery and its various vendors for the supply of gas and crude oil to the Refinery.
“Those supply contracts were not entered into with PENGASSAN; they were entered into by Dangote Refinery with third party vendors and suppliers and PENGASSAN has no right whatsoever to disrupt and/or interfere with the performance of those contracts,” the statement said.
It stated further that apart from the lawlessness and criminality inherent in the PENGASSAN instruction to its branches, the association’s directive amounts to economic sabotage at multiple levels.
“In plain language, PENGASSAN has directed its branches to disrupt and stop the supply of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery to Nigerians.”
It explained that the products that would be disrupted and stopped include aviation fuel, kerosene, diesel and cooking gas – all essential products for millions of Nigerians.
“In what circumstance would it be justified for PENGASSAN to so disrupt and introduce insufferable hardship into the living conditions of Nigerians? None that we can see. In whose interest and on whose behalf is PENGASSAN directing and intending to inflict such anarchic and criminal disruption upon the Nigerian society and persons living in Nigeria? Most certainly, not in the interest of the Nigerian state and/or the Nigerian public and citizens.
“This is also economic sabotage against the Nigerian State at multiple levels,” the refinery said.
The Dangote refinery called on the federal government and its security agencies to intervene and call PENGASSAN to order, urging that PENGASSAN’s actions are not only lawless but also have the potential to inflict significant harm on the Nigerian economy and citizens.
“We are, by this write-up, drawing the attention of the Federal Government and its security and law enforcement agencies-as well as all other levels of governments in Nigeria to this criminal, lawless, reckless and irresponsible conduct of PENGASSAN and calling on them the federal government and its agencies, in particular to call the association to order,” it said.
It noted that PENGASSAN has no right to introduce anarchy and mayhem into the society.
Petrol, cooking gas supply
“The association is not above the law, and it must not be allowed to believe that it is or behave as if it is. We are also calling on all Nigerians to take note of the unquantifiable and irredeemable hardship which PENGASSAN wishes to inflict on all of us. There is no Nigerian household that does not use or need the petroleum products which PENGASSAN has now directed its branches, by fiat, to withdraw from the Nigerian market again, we list some of them: petrol, cooking gas, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel,” it added.
It further noted the production and supply of these products by the refinery would cease if PENGASSAN is allowed or permitted to enforce its lawless and criminal “directive.” adding that the association must not be allowed to ride roughshod on Nigerians.
“The repercussions from the PENGASSAN directive would affect and inflict harm on all Nigerians This is therefore a fight for all Nigerians. We all must encourage and nudge PENGASSAN to live up to the commitment in its Press release of 26 September 2025, to wit, “take all necessary legal actions” -not illicit and criminal actions- to challenge the Dangote Refinery acts that it purports has led to its “directive.” it said.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery had terminated the appointments of some of its workers, citing repeated acts of sabotage that have raised significant safety concerns and affected operational efficiency. The company emphasised that the decision is not arbitrary but a necessary measure to protect the facility and ensure its long-term stability.
