Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has dismissed reports of a 'mass' layoff at its multi-billion-dollar plant.

The refinery management stated that it only conducted a reshuffle of its workforce to tackle sabotage incidents that raised safety concerns.

In a letter made public and seen by Legit.ng dated September 25 and signed by Femi Adekunle, Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management. Find the stories that matter to you – faster.

The sack letter reads: "In view of the many reported cases of sabotage in different sections of the Refinery, which have led to major safety concerns, Management is constrained to carry out a total re-organisation of the plant.

As a consequence of this development, we regret to inform you that your services are no longer required, with effect from Thursday, 25th September 2025.

Please surrender all Company property in your possession to your line manager and obtain a clearance certificate accordingly. The specific date for this process will be communicated to you.

The Finance Department, by a copy of this letter, has been directed to compute all your benefits and entitlements in line with your terms of employment and conditions of service.

Payment will be made once you have obtained the clearance certificate as mentioned above. We take this opportunity to thank you for your services during your period of employment with us."

A senior refinery official, who confirmed the authenticity of the letter, rejected claims of a blanket dismissal.

The official told Reuters: “Yes, the letter is genuine, but the interpretation is wrong."

"This action concerns specific individuals linked to sabotage, not everyone. Staff not affected remain at their duty posts."

He added that the sudden move was necessary to prevent workers under investigation from concealing evidence, stressing that operations at the 650,000 barrels-per-day facility remain uninterrupted.

He said: “It is more of a clean-up process to protect the company’s assets. Once the issues are resolved, some workers could return.

"This is not a mass sack." Legit.ng reached out to Dangote spokesperson Anthony Chiejina for comments, but he did not respond to calls and messages seeking clarification.

The reorganisation comes amid growing labour tensions, Petroluemprice.ng reports. Earlier this month, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) accused the refinery of blocking unionisation and engaging in unfair labour practices.