Nigerian Court Fines Chinese Company N20m After Staff’s Death

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has ordered the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company Nigeria Limited (CCECC) to pay ₦20m in compensation to the family of one of its deceased workers, Emmanuel Danjuma, who died in a workplace incident caused by negligence.
In a judgment delivered on July 11, Justice E.D. Subilim ruled that the company’s failure to ensure a safe working environment led to the tragic death of Danjuma.
According to the judge, such action amounts to a violation of his fundamental rights to life and dignity, as enshrined in Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Nigerian Tribune reports that the court also awarded a 10 per cent post-judgment interest on the sum until it is fully paid.
Danjuma, who had worked as a casual staff member at the company, died on September 1, 2022, while cleaning one of CCECC’s heavy-duty machines.
According to court documents, while he was inside the machine performing his assigned duties, another staff member negligently turned it on despite being warned by colleagues that Danjuma was still inside.
The activation of the equipment resulted in Danjuma’s instant and horrific death.
His family, in an originating summons filed on April 12, 2024 (NICN/ABJ/99/2024), asked the court to determine whether the circumstances of Danjuma’s death violated his constitutional rights and whether the company owed them compensation.
The family said repeated efforts to get the company to accept responsibility and offer compensation were rebuffed, prompting them to seek redress in court.
CCECC, in its defence, denied that Danjuma was a full employee, describing him instead as a casual worker without a formal contract. It also argued that the incident was a mere accident and had already paid N1m to the family in good faith.
The company further claimed Danjuma failed to follow safety procedures, including notifying others before entering the equipment.
However, Justice Subilim, in his judgment rejected the company’s argument, ruling that its claim about employment status did not change the facts of the case.
He held that Danjuma died while performing his duties for the company and that the evidence presented showed clear negligence on the part of CCECC.
“The very act of the death of the deceased was also not in dispute. No dispute arose as to the workplace, employment status and the cause of the death,” the judge stated.
Flowing from this, I find no difficulty in holding that the fundamental right to life and human dignity of the deceased was infringed by no other person than the defendant,” he added.
Justice Subilim also held that the company failed in its duty to provide a safe and secure working environment and accordingly held it liable for Danjuma’s death.
Nigerian Court Fines Chinese Company N20m After Staff’s Death is first published on The Whistler Newspaper