EXCLUSIVE: 20 YEARS AFTER, EX-JOS STEEL WORKERS HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING, JUBILATE OVER EFCC ARREST OF ZUMA STEEL BOSS, DR. INNOCENT EZUMA
_Await House Committee Report After Hearing Concluded Sept 30 — Leader Says_
By Peter Azi – Jos
There was jubilation in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, as over 30 former staff of the defunct Jos Steel Rolling Company, re-engaged by Zuma Steel West Africa Limited in 2006, held an emergency meeting to discuss the arrest and detention of the Chairman of Zuma Steel, Dr. Innocent Ozoemena Ezuma, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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The meeting, which had in attendance former workers, widows and orphans of deceased workers, also reviewed the progress of their long-running petition before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions against Dr. Ezuma and Zuma Steel West Africa.
Briefing his colleagues at the meeting, the leader of the workers and lead petitioner, Mr. Danjuma Samuel Agbo, former Public Relations Officer of the company, disclosed that their petition — Danjuma Samuel Agbo vs Dr. Innocent Ezuma and Zuma Steel West Africa Ltd — was heard and closed by the House Committee on Public Petitions on 30th September, 2026.
Mr. Agbo, who led the workers to the National Assembly with their Lead Counsel, Hon. Solomon Dalung, Esq., said the hearing was concluded and closed on that day, and that they are now awaiting the final report of the Committee to be laid before the entire House for adoption and further legislative action.
He explained that the petition, which is before the National Assembly, borders on alleged abandonment, non-payment of salaries and entitlements for about 20 years, violation of a Consent Judgement, and forceful ejection from staff quarters.
According to documents tendered, upon the privatisation of Jos Steel Rolling Mill in 2006, Zuma Steel West Africa issued appointment letters to former federal staff. However, after paying full salary for about three months and half salary for about eight months between July 2006 and March 2007, the company, via an internal circular, asked the workers to go and wait at home until power stabilises and that they remain staff of the company — a wait that has lasted 19 years without pay.
The workers further alleged that despite not paying salaries, Zuma Steel began serving quit notices on workers occupying the company estate, asking them to pay rent in cash or be ejected, contrary to their appointment letters which provided that housing allowance would be deducted from source.
Mr. Agbo narrated his own case as more aggravated. He said after Zuma took him to court over his quarters, the court entered a Consent Judgement ordering him to pay for both his staff apartment and a separate business premises he rented within the quarters. He said he complied fully and paid as ordered, with receipts, but was still forcefully ejected, with his apartment and business premises broken into and his properties thrown out during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
He said many other workers, like Mr. Nansoh G. Lar, who refused to vacate, went to the National Industrial Court, Jos Division. Their cases have lingered for many years. In the decided case of Nansoh G. Lar vs Zuma Steel West Africa Ltd, Suit No. NICN/JOS/31/2017, Judgement delivered 20th September, 2019, the court held that the employment subsists and awarded arrears.
On the EFCC arrest, the workers said they received the news with joy, enthusiasm and renewed hope.
The EFCC had on 20th October, 2026 announced the arrest of Dr. Innocent Ezuma, 57, at his Abuja residence on 19th October, 2026, over allegations that he defrauded a Ukrainian investor of more than $120 million between 2007 and 2015 for mineral exploration and power projects that were never executed. The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that Ezuma remains in custody and is being investigated for advance fee fraud, criminal breach of trust, criminal conversion, obtaining money under false pretence, theft and money laundering.
The anti-graft agency is also said to be investigating allegations bordering on the privatisation of Jos Steel Rolling Mill, asset stripping, diversion of funds to companies and individuals linked to the businessman, including his children, and non-payment of workers.
Speaking at the emergency meeting, Mr. David Isaiah, who said he was among the first 55 staff employed by the Federal Government and sent to Germany for training in May 1981, said Zuma Steel gave him an appointment letter in 2006, used him for six months and then asked him to go and wait at home.
_”This is the best thing that can happen to Nigeria! I didn’t know that the current EFCC can work like this,”_ Isaiah said.
Mr. Signor Ben, who was among those who signed the first letter of complaint to Dr. Ezuma and the Federal Government in 2013, and who was employed in 1982, said his re-engagement in 2006 was the beginning of his hell.
_”Dr. Innocent Ezuma maltreated the staff he employed. Staff occupying the staff quarters were given quit notice to pay rent in cash or pack out. The internal memo issued by Zuma states that workers should wait and not go out to seek for work. He paid us half salaries for close to eight months before asking us to go and wait at home,”_ he said.
Mr. Sani Baba, a Mechanical Engineer employed in 1983 who produced spare parts for the mill and maintained production lines, said Zuma retained them to train new staff for five years but after three months full salary and a few months half salary, abandoned them.
_”Since then, no kobo has been given to us and a lot of our colleagues have died from long suffering. The news of Dr. Ezuma’s arrest is unbelievable because I never knew such can happen in Nigeria. If foreigners who want to invest in Nigeria see this, they will have confidence to invest because they know they will be protected,”_ he said.
At the end of the meeting, the workers signed a fresh supplementary petition, to be filed by their counsel, Hon. Solomon Dalung and Mr. Danjuma Samuel Agbo, as Supplementary Petition to EFCC/PET/HQR/1733/2026, asking to be joined as victims and witnesses in the ongoing $120 million fraud investigation.
The petition urges the EFCC to consider their 20-year unpaid entitlements in the restitution computation and to protect victims from further harassment and eviction pending investigation.
The workers commended the National Assembly House Committee on Public Petitions for hearing their cries and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving anti-graft agencies a free hand to operate without interference.
They also commended the EFCC for its bold step and prayed that the Commission would not be compromised and that Dr. Ezuma would be made to pay their entitlements and be properly investigated.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper October 23rd, 2026
