Press Release
September 1, 2025
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has hailed the court judgment ordering the immediate reinstatement of Olamide Thomas, a nurse at the Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese Ijebu, who was dismissed for exposing corruption and other acts of misconduct in the institution.
In addition to reinstating her, Justice Sanda Yelwa of the National Industrial Court, Lagos, also ordered the payment of all her salaries and allowances from the date of her dismissal, and awarded N5 million in damages.
In a press statement signed by the Coordinator of AFRICMIL, Dr. Chido Onumah, the organisation said, “We wholeheartedly welcome the judgment which to us symbolizes a massive blow to the horrible retaliation often initiated by employers against workers who dare to expose illegal practices in their organisations.”
Describing the judgment as “sound, well-reasoned and a morale booster,” AFRICMIL noted that it was a remarkable verdict handed down by a courageous judge in spite of the absence of a protection law for whistleblowers in Nigeria. “Coming at a time when the country has yet to enact a whistleblower protection law, the judgment will undoubtedly serve as a motivation for workers, and indeed everyone, to engage in public interest whistleblowing and be assured of getting justice, like Olamide, when they face undue reprisals.”
Olamide, who was working in the clinic of the institution, was dismissed in January 2023 for a series of whistleblowing activities exposing theft of the institution’s property and rape. In an attempt to get rid of her, she was poisoned and ended up in the hospital. And when she recovered, she was sacked.
Following her dismissal, she sued the College and the Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and asked the court to declare her dismissal and termination as unjust, null and void and also to set aside her termination and dismissal.
In his judgment, Justice Yelwa found Olamide to be a whistleblower who is entitled to protection against the acts of victimization, harassment and intimidation by the institution.
According to AFRICMIL, the judge held that the termination of her appointment for whistleblowing activity was unfair and unequitable, and that the court would not fold its hand or close its eyes as a court of law and equity.
“We salute Justice Yelwa for this landmark judgment which is similar to the one delivered in March 2020 by Justice Oyejoju Oyewunmi in favour of Sambo Abdullahi of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc. We urge other judges to emulate these judges who have shown faithfulness in their support for whistleblowers who report illegalities in the public interest,” the statement noted.
AFRICMIL called on the defendants to promptly comply with the judgment of the court and the Nigeria government to speed up the passage of a whistleblower protection law as “a necessary step towards achieving transparency and accountability, and minimizing corrupt practices in the country.”
Chido Onumah
Coordinator, AFRICMIL
