The court has affirmed that what happened to me was unjust. I am relieved that justice has finally been served.
It has been ordered that the Nigerian Navy hire back Naval Rating Officer Fagbemi Babatunde and pay him all of the salaries, perks, and pension contributions that he has not received since August 2008 till the present day. Additionally, Babatunde was given N7 million in damages, in addition to N1 million for representation fees.
Following his detention on the orders of his commanding officer, Babatunde was expelled from the military in the year 2008.
At the Knock Adoon platform, which is owned by Addax Petroleum Company Ltd., he was accused of refusing to sign for and collect a weapon while he was on duty.
According to the Nigerian Navy, because of his disobedience, he was subjected to an investigation and ultimately discharged.
It has been ordered that the Nigerian Navy restore Naval Rating Officer Fagbemi Babatunde and pay him all of the salaries, perks, and pension payments that are still outstanding from August 2008 until the present day.
Additionally, Babatunde was also awarded N7 million in damages and N1 million for legal costs.
In an interview with journalists in Abuja, the Naval Officer and his attorney, Qousim Opakunle Esq., stated that he had been unlawfully fired without a trial and that he had attempted to dispute the decision on multiple occasions, but all of his efforts had been fruitless.
“I was detained and later dismissed without any formal charge or trial. For years, I wrote letters seeking an explanation, but my efforts were ignored.
“They claimed I refused to take a weapon, but I was never deployed to that platform. Even if I had disobeyed an order, the law requires a proper trial, not an arbitrary dismissal.
“The court has now affirmed that what happened to me was unjust. I am relieved that justice has finally been served.”
The matter was brought to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, where he challenged his dismissal, after he had spent years looking for answers before doing so. Judge E. D. Subilim presided over the case and decided in his favor, stating that his termination constituted a violation of the law.