BUA Group has reportedly dismissed approximately 700 truck drivers at its Edo State plant following a peaceful protest over the alleged diversion of a N30 billion staff benefit fund.
BUA Group, a prominent Nigerian multinational specializing in cement and food production, has reportedly terminated the employment of at least 700 truck drivers at its Obu-Okpella plant in Edo State. The mass dismissal followed a demonstration on December 24, 2025, during which the drivers protested their exclusion from a N30 billion ($20.7 million) benefit fund gifted by the company’s Chairman, Abdul-Samad Rabiu, to long-serving staff. According to affected workers, the promised benefits were allegedly shared among management staff while the frontline transportation personnel were neglected, leading to a peaceful standoff that eventually resulted in their summary dismissal.
The drivers, many of whom claim to be direct employees rather than contract staff, have expressed frustration over the company’s refusal to provide severance pay or recognize their years of service. Silas Simon, a driver at the plant, revealed that even those who had served for over a decade were stripped of their positions without compensation. “There was money released by our chairman, Abdul-Samad Rabiu, to all his staff, this money we discovered was shared within the management and didn’t get to us, the truck drivers of the company, and we are the front-runners of the business. Later, we decided to have a peaceful protest, and they returned with our dismissal letters. We are about 700,” Simon disclosed.
Beyond the immediate dispute over the N30 billion gift, workers allege a systemic pattern of benefit denial, including the withholding of house allowances and 10th-anniversary bonuses. Many drivers reportedly refused to sign or collect their dismissal letters in December, fearing that doing so would legally waive their rights to future claims or benefits. “I am expecting that maybe I would get a payoff, and then secure another job, but there is no payoff. This will not be the first. There have also been many other benefits that we got denied,” Simon added, highlighting a growing labor crisis within the conglomerate’s logistics division.