The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled in favor of three former employees of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), ordering their reinstatement after being wrongfully dismissed in 2015. Akagwu Audi Yakubu, Idris Auwal, and Daciyal Longji David were initially fired under the vague claim of “service no longer required,” but the court has now determined that their termination violated both legal and procedural standards.
The trio had previously challenged their dismissal at the National Industrial Court (NIC), but the NIC sided with the CBN in 2018, prompting them to escalate the matter to the Court of Appeal. This latest ruling, issued on January 13, 2025, not only declared the firing illegal but also awarded N1 million in damages to the appellants, finding the CBN at fault for failing to follow necessary legal procedures.
The workers were involved in a sensitive operation involving the destruction of old currency notes in 2013. They were dismissed in 2015 after an incident involving the alleged unauthorized removal of a currency box containing N10 million. However, the court found the bank’s reasons for their dismissal to be insufficient and unsupported by any disciplinary records.
Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani, delivering the ruling, explained that the CBN’s actions contradicted both the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 and its own internal Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual. The court emphasized that the appellants were entitled to fair treatment and due process before any termination could occur, underscoring the statutory protections that safeguarded their employment.
The judgment has been hailed as a victory for justice. Femi Adedeji, the legal counsel for the appellants, expressed relief at the ruling, highlighting that it sends a strong message to employers about the importance of complying with labor laws. Despite the win, the CBN has yet to issue a public statement in response to the ruling.
