The Dangote Group has revealed that its petroleum refinery has experienced 22 separate incidents of sabotage since it began operations, underscoring the growing security and operational challenges surrounding the multibillion-dollar facility.
Speaking during a facility tour by Bubaraye Dakolo, King of Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chairman of the Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, the Group’s Vice President, Devakumar Edwin, disclosed that the company’s recent internal reorganisation — which led to the dismissal of some workers — was not connected to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), as earlier alleged.
Edwin said the move was strictly to protect the refinery’s assets and operations following multiple sabotage attempts.
“We have been under repeated attacks like some people have pointed out earlier. Originally, the refinery, they said it will not even come up. Then they said it will not be commissioned and start production,” he said.
“We went through all those phases. Then they said, okay, we have an issue with PENGASSAN, which is totally false news. Because when we went and had a meeting in Abuja with the ministers and the security agencies, I repeatedly emphasised that we have no issue with PENGASSAN.
The reorganisation we did had nothing to do with PENGASSAN. We started facing incidences of sabotage. We have 22 incidences of sabotage.”
The Vice President further explained that all attempted incidents were properly documented through the refinery’s master control system, which monitors every operation in real time.
“You are all aware. You have seen fires in the past, even in Kaduna refinery and some of the other refineries. There were attempted fire incidences. I have the dates, the unit where it was done, and when it was done. All are documented data. Because you went to the master control room, you know that all the data are completely captured,” he stated.
Edwin said the refinery’s ultra-modern fire protection and control systems had successfully prevented the sabotage attempts from causing major damage.
“And same way, equipment trying to be brought down. Somebody will open a valve to try to see if it will break down. Fortunately for us, by the grace of God, it’s a very ultra-modern refinery,” he said.
“So when somebody starts a fire somewhere, the fire protection system is so well, it is immediately controlled. Same way, when they try to break down an instrument by opening a valve or adjusting some instruments, some other instrument overrules it and stops. But it is documented.
So we started looking at it, and then we were a bit concerned. Somebody can just bring a major shit down. And a lot of the investment has gone inside. That is why we did this massive reorganisation. It has nothing to do with PENGASSAN and I repeatedly emphasise, even the dates or planning, everything is different.”
The statement follows a recent dispute between the refinery and PENGASSAN, which accused the company of dismissing over 800 workers amid a union disagreement. The refinery, however, clarified that only a “small number” of staff were affected, stressing that the dismissals were part of a security-related restructuring.
PENGASSAN had initially directed its members to embark on a nationwide strike on September 28, but the action was suspended on October 1 after the intervention of the federal government.
The Dangote Group has since redeployed the affected workers to other subsidiaries within its industrial network.
