Dangote Refinery Reorganisation Followed 22 Sabotage Attempts — Devakumar Edwin

The Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, has revealed that the company’s recent internal restructuring was prompted by 22 separate sabotage attempts aimed at disrupting operations at the Dangote Refinery.

Edwin made this disclosure on Friday during a media briefing at the refinery in Lagos, following public concern over reports of the alleged dismissal of over 800 workers. He clarified that the company’s reorganisation was not influenced by labour union pressures but was instead a necessary step to protect the integrity and sustainability of Africa’s largest refinery project.

Addressing speculations of conflict with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Edwin dismissed such claims as false. He explained that the company had documented 22 incidents of attempted sabotage, including deliberate fire attempts within the refinery units. “Fortunately, our ultra-modern safety systems immediately contained every incident,” he stated.

Meanwhile, King Bubaraye Dakolo, the Ibedaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, expressed strong support for the Dangote Refinery, describing it as a long-overdue breakthrough for Nigeria’s oil sector. The monarch hailed the refinery for finally enabling the local refining of Nigerian crude, which he said could transform the national economy and benefit the Niger Delta region.

Dakolo urged government at all levels, private investors, and labour unions to unite in supporting domestic fuel production. He recalled that Nigeria lost a major opportunity in 2007 when union resistance led to the reversal of the Bluestar Oil consortium’s purchase of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, a move he said had cost the country 18 years of inactivity and $18 billion in wasted funds.

Condemning attempts to portray the Dangote Refinery as a monopoly, Dakolo stressed that over 30 refinery licenses, including for modular and large-scale facilities like BUA’s 200,000-bpd plant, had already been issued. He argued that those opposing the refinery’s progress were “individuals benefiting from fuel importation” rather than advocates of national development.