62 former CBN workers oppose bank’s bid to change suit process over ‘unlawful dismissal’

CBN HQ

Sixty-two disengaged staff members of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have asked a national industrial court in Abuja to dismiss an application by the bank seeking to change the procedure of their lawsuit.

The CBN, through its counsel, Wilson Inam, had filed a motion before Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, presiding judge, urging the court to convert the claimants’ originating summons to a writ of summons.

NAN reports that Inam argued that the suit raised substantial and disputed issues of fact which, he said, could not be resolved without oral evidence.

He told the court that the motion, dated November 26, 2025, was served on the claimants, noting that they failed to file a counter affidavit.

“The claimants, having not filed a counter affidavit, are deemed to have admitted the facts deposed to in support of our application,” the counsel said.

“The facts are not contested. These are facts in which judgement cannot be given without oral evidence.”

However, Ola Olanipekun, counsel to the claimants, prayed the court to dismiss the application, describing it as premature.

While admitting that no counter affidavit was filed, Olanipekun said he was entitled to oppose the motion on points of law.

Relying on order 17, rule 12 of the NICN rules, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) argued that the first three prayers in the CBN’s five-relief application could not be granted because the apex bank failed to file a counter affidavit in response to the originating summons.

“My learned brother has not filed a counter affidavit to our process served on them, which we also have a right to respond to by filing a further and better affidavit before my lord can look at the matter holistically,” he said.