A former Territory Manager with Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Ntima Chika Anya, has sued the multinational beverage company before the National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, seeking ₦100 million in compensation for what he described as the wrongful and inhumane termination of his employment.
The defendants in the suit are Guinness Nigeria Plc and Mr. Moshood Adejoro, Anya’s former Line Manager, who is still an employee of the company.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Anya, through his counsel, Samuel Chukwudi Umesi, opened his case and tendered 36 documentary exhibits, which were all admitted into evidence by Justice K.D. Damulak.
The matter was adjourned to November 27, 2025, for cross-examination by the defence counsel, Ade Abioye.
Anya, who served as Territory Manager for Ilorin/Offa, alleged that his dismissal on October 30, 2020, violated due process and stemmed from bias, witch-hunt, and unprofessional conduct by his immediate supervisor and other senior officials of Guinness Nigeria.
He told the court that despite presenting a medical report from Olanrewaju Hospital, Ilorin — confirming dangerously high blood pressure — the company denied him both sick and annual leave, forcing him to work during the COVID-19 lockdown.
He further alleged that he was compelled to sell nearly expired Dubic Malt products, an act he said endangered his health and professional integrity.
According to Anya, the company’s handling of his dismissal breached labour laws and basic human dignity.
He claimed that Guinness seized his work assets in public, forced him to sign a termination letter at a distributor’s outlet in Ilorin, and denied him proper exit procedures despite almost a decade of service.
The claimant also alleged that he was denied medical care and was discharged from the hospital on the same day his employment was terminated, worsening his hypertensive condition and resulting in severe vision problems.
Anya described the company’s Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) — cited as justification for his dismissal — as fraudulent and unimplemented, presenting internal emails to the court that, according to him, exposed inconsistencies and deliberate attempts to mislead.
Among the exhibits tendered were medical reports, ECG scans, referral letters, commendation certificates, salary review documents, and corporate awards from 2019 and 2020, which he argued demonstrated his strong performance record.
He also presented his late mother’s death certificate, claiming she died because he could not afford her medication following his dismissal.
Additionally, he submitted a Certified True Copy of a 2023 judgment in which another ex-employee, Bright Nwosu, reportedly won a similar case against Guinness Nigeria in Port Harcourt.
Anya’s lawyer, Umesi, told the court that Guinness’s conduct amounted to more than wrongful termination, describing it as “an attempted homicide” given the physical and psychological trauma inflicted on his client.
Medical reports before the court indicate that Anya now requires intensive medical attention, possibly abroad, to treat complications arising from uncontrolled hypertension.
Justice Damulak adjourned the case to November 27, 2025, for continuation of cross-examination.
