The Kano State division of the National Industrial Court (NICN), has ordered Azman Air Services Limited to pay a total of N16,438,580 million, to one of its former pilot, Captain Abubakar Abdulkarim, after declaring that his employment with the airline was wrongful and illegal terminated.
Justice M. A. Namtari in a judgment delivered on March 10, 2026, held that the Azman Air failed to justify the reason given for the pilot’s dismissal and did not comply with the terms of his employment contract.
Abdulkarim through his lawyer, Mohammad Hamza A. G, had approached the court in January 2021, in suit marked NICN/KN/01/2021, wherein he seeks over N44 million in unpaid salaries, damages, and other entitlements following the termination of his employment in November 2020.
He also claimed that he was owed salaries for April, May, and June 2020, as well as full payment in lieu of notice and damages for alleged defamation.
The claimant, who was employed in August 2019, as a Line Captain earning N3 million monthly, argued that he carried out his duties diligently without any record of misconduct. Adding that his employment was abruptly terminated with vague reasons citing “recent happenings and development in the company.”
He further alleged that subsequent media reports portrayed him and other dismissed pilots as indisciplined, damaging his professional reputation and affecting his chances of securing new employment.
But Azman Air through its team of lawyer led by nAdo Muhammad Ma’aji, in its defence, maintained that the termination was lawful and in line with the employment contract.
The airline argued that the COVID-19 pandemic forced a downward review of salaries and operational changes, insisting that the claimant had been paid all entitlements due to him, including a revised salary in lieu of notice.
In deciding the suit. Justice Namtari, found that the airline failed to provide sufficient evidence to support its claim that “recent happenings” justified the termination.
The judge noted that apart from internal memos referencing the impact of COVID-19, there was no concrete proof explaining the decision to disengage the claimant. While also observed that the airline advertised for new pilots shortly after the claimant’s dismissal, undermining its argument that the termination was driven by economic hardship.
On the issue of salary, Justice Namtari rejected the airline’s claim that the pilot had accepted a reduced pay structure, holding that there was no evidence of his consent to such changes.
Consequently, the court affirmed that his original salary of N3 million remained applicable.
Justice Namtari ruled that the claimant was entitled to N9 million as unpaid salaries for three months, as well as N2, 438,580 million being the balance of one month’s salary in lieu of notice.
Additionally, the court awarded N5 million as damages for wrongful termination, bringing the total award to over N16 million.
The court however dismissed the claims for annual leave allowance and defamation, ruling that the claimant failed to establish a legal basis for the leave claim and could not prove that the airline was responsible for the alleged defamatory publications.
The court ordered that all payments be made within 30 days.
