The National Industrial Court (NIC), Lagos Division, has fixed November 12, 2026, for trial on the N14.091 billion suit filed by 36 former employees of Chevron Nigeria Limited, over denied retirement benefits and entitlements.
  
The first claimant in the suit, Lawrence Olatunji Akeju, initiated the suit for himself and on behalf of 35 other former employees of Chevron Nigeria Limited, who retired in 1991.
  
Represented by Adegbola Abayomi and others, the claimants are claiming N167 million per claimant for the denied housing benefits and N600 million for the denied gratuities, totalling N14.09 billion in damages.
  
The claim also includes legal fees, which the claimants argued would have been unnecessary had the defendant fulfilled its obligations.
  
After taking the submissions of parties in the suit on June 18 sitting of the court, Justice I.J. Essien set the trial date, giving parties sufficient time to address any amendment or application, pre-trial. 
 
The presiding judge had earlier set March 24 for trial, following a request by Chevron’s counsel that the matter be adjourned to enable the defence to respond to the claimant’s address in opposition to the defendant’s preliminary objection.
  
The sitting, however, could not proceed on March 24, 2026, due to the Judge’s unavailability in the case and was subsequently adjourned to June 18.
  
As of June 18, both parties had made applications for extension of time. 

The claimant had an application for extension of time within which to file a response to the objection of the respondent, filed in December 2025.
 
The court was supposed to entertain the case in December, but adjourned till March 2026 to enable the respondents to file their defence.   
  
Due to the absence of the judge, the court could not sit on the March date but adjourned till June 18. 
  
During the court’s sitting on the June date, the claimant moved their motion, as the court had regularised the claimant’s response in opposition to the respondent’s objection. 
  
The respondent, on its part, had also filed an application for extension of time because it had filed their defence out of time. 
  
The respondent moved the motion, which the court granted. 
  
From the current standpoint of the court, both parties have filed their pleadings. 
  
After taking the submissions of parties in the suit, the court adjourned till November 12, 2026, for trial, giving parties in the case sufficient time to address any amendment or application. 
  
During the sitting of the court on December 9, 2025, the defence counsel confirmed that they received a reply from the claimant’s counsel, Adegbola Abayomi, to their preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter on the ground that it was statute-barred.
  
The lawyer therefore prayed for time to reply to the claimant’s address regarding their preliminary objection. 
  
The court, however, noted that Chevron had not filed its defence to the suit.

The Judge urged Chevron’s counsel to do so to enable the court to determine whether the objection should be set down for hearing or both the objection and the substantive suit be heard together.
  
The claimants, among other prayers, are urging the court to recognise their entitlements and award damages for the hardships suffered due to the denial of benefits.
  
They emphasised the mental and financial toll the situation has taken on them, with some claimants having passed away due to the stress of their circumstances.
  
The claimants, who were part of a workforce reduction policy implemented by Chevron in 1991, which included specified terminal benefits, said they were denied certain entitlements.
  
This prompted them to seek legal redress after unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issues directly with the defendant. 
  
The retirement package included a pension for life, gratuity and comprehensive medical services for retirees and their families.