Three lecturers of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State have dragged the University before Justice A.A. Adewemimo of the National Industrial Court in Benin for allegedly owing them salaries for 27 months.

Applicants in the suit are, Prof. Fredrick Ikechukwu Esumeh, Prof. Monday Lewis Igbafen and Dr. Zebedee Udo Mamudu of the Departments of Microbiology, Philosophy and Economics, respectively.

They filed the action through their council, Kingsley Obamogie (SAN), to seek amongst others, “a declaration that the failure and/or neglect of the defendant to pay the claimant’s salaries and allowances since January 1, 2022 till date is wrongful, inhuman and a breach of the subsisting contract of service between the parties.”

They prayed the court to grant an order directing the defendant to restore payment of their salaries and “to pay all their outstanding salaries and allowances from January 1, 2022 till date of judgment.”

These were contained in separate suit Nos: NICN/BEN/15/2024; NICN/BEN/16/2024; and NICN/BEN/17/2024, wherein Prof Esumeh, Dr Mamudu and Prof Igbafen are claimants respectively, while AAU, Ekpoma is the defendant in all.

In their separate suits, they are also demanding for the payment of N10 million general damages for the grave pain, inconvenience and hardship suffered by them as a result of the refusal and/or failure of the defendant to discharge its contractual duty to the claimants.