DEATH IN NLNG FACILITY: Lawyers Accuse Gas Firm of Abdicating Responsibility to Third Party
A team of lawyers have accused the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) of abandoning the family of late Emmanuel Dan-Jumbo, who reportedly lost his life while allegedly working on the company’s facility in Bonny, Rivers State.
Acing under the aegis of Deeds Chambers, a Port Harcourt based law firm, the lawyers in a letter dated Tuesday, March 30, 2026, signed by Eze Obodo, and addressed to the Managing Director of NLNG, which was sighted by Kristina Reports, alleged that the NLNG intends to shift its responsibility to a third party.
According to the letter, the lawyers claimed to be counsels to the family of the deceased, Dan-Jumbo House of Bonny Kingdom on whose instructions they were engaging the NLNG, urging the company to act responsibly towards the affected family whose breadwinner lost his life in an unfortunate circumstance within its facility in Bonny.
An abridged version of the letter is reproduced below:
“PRE-ACTION NOTICE OF CLAIM FOR NEGLIGENCE AND WRONGFUL DEATH OF LATE MR. EMMANUEL DAN-JUMBO
We are Solicitors to Mrs. Queen Dan-Jumbo and Madam Christy R. Hart, being the widow and mother, respectively, of the late Mr. Emmanuel Dan-Jumbo (hereinafter referred to as “the Deceased”), on whose firm instructions we write.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Our clients informed us that on or about the 16th day of March. 2026, the Deceased, while lawfully engaged in work within your operational facility at Bonny Island, Rivers State, tragically lost his life under/circumstances that were disturbing, preventable, and clearly indicative of grave operational negligence.
It is our brief that the Deceased was within a confined space when, due to the negligent act and/or omission of your servants, agents, and/or contractors – including Candix Engineering Nigeria Limited – a valve was wrongfully and carelessly activated, resulting in a forceful discharge which swept the Deceased to his untimely death.
POST-INCIDENT CONDUCT
Our Clients further inform us that following the said incident, representatives of your contractor/agent, Candix Engineering Nigeria Limited, have made two (2) visits to the bereaved family, while your esteemed company, NLNG, the Principal, in whose facility Mr Dan-Jumbo lost his life has not visited.
However, the most recent visit of Candix, on 30th March 2026 was received with grave concern and distress. The family reports that the representatives conducted themselves in a manner that was insensitive, unduly hurried, and coercive, particularly by urging the grieving family to hastily accept a purported compensation offer of N9,000,000.00 (Nine Million Naira), allegedly representing salary, on the premise that they needed to
Immediately return to Lagos. This conduct has caused the family further emotional trauma, humiliation, and apprehension, and is strongly viewed as an attempt to improperly procure a premature settlement without due regard to the full extent of liability and loss suffered. This attempt by Candix at a premature settlement, clearly suggests to us that NLNG is attempting to shift its legal responsibility to a third party when it is the principal who is responsible for the actions of its agent, Candix.
In view of the foregoing, we hereby formally notify you that all further communications, negotiations, or settlement discussions in respect of this matter must be conducted strictly through our Chambers, and any direct approach to the family shall be deemed inappropriate and resisted.
PARTICULARS OF NEGLIGENCE
The negligence of your Company, its servants, agents, and/or contractors includes but is not limited to the following:
· Failure to provide a safe working environment for the Deceased;
· Failure to implement and enforce adequate safety protocols and controls in a high-risk industrial area;
· Failure to ensure proper supervision and coordination of operations within the confined space in your facility;
· Engaging incompetent and/or insufficiently trained personnel;
· Failure to install or maintain adequate warning systems or safeguards to prevent accidental activation of hazardous equipment;
· Failure to adhere to established industrial safety standards and regulations;
· Failure to exercise due care, skill, and diligence expected in the circumstances.
LEGAL BASIS OF CLAIM
Your Company is vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of its employees, agents, and contractors.
The death of the Deceased constitutes:
Negligence
Breach of duty of care
Wrongful death
Giving rise to actionable claims under applicable laws, including but not limited to:
The Fatal Accidents Laws
The Coroners Law of Rivers State
Relevant common law principles
LOSS AND DAMAGE
As a direct consequence of your negligence, the Deceased’s family – wife, two children, an aged mother and five dependent siblings – has suffered:
Loss of life
Loss of financial support and dependency
Emotional trauma and psychological distress
Funeral and related expenses
DEMAND
TAKE NOTICE that our Clients hereby demand the following:
Full disclosure of all facts and documentation relating to the incident;
Immediate engagement with us toward an amicable and lawful settlement;
Payment of adequate and commensurate monetary compensation/damages to the family;
A formal acknowledgment of responsibility where appropriate.
NOTICE OF INTENDED ACTION
TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that unless this matter is resolved within fourteen (28) days from the date of receipt of this letter, we shall, without further recourse to you:
Institute appropriate civil proceedings against your Company and all responsible parties;
Pursue a Coroner’s Inquest into the death of the Deceased;
Seek full compensatory and exemplary damages;
Explore all other legal remedies available to our clients.
PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE
You are hereby placed on notice to preserve all evidence relating to this incident, including but not limited to:
CCTV footage
Incident reports
PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE
You are hereby placed on notice to preserve all evidence relating to this
incident, including but not limited to:
CCTV footage
Incident reports
Safety logs
Internal communications
Personnel records
Failure to preserve such evidence shall be relied upon accordingly.
We trust that your organisation will treat this matter with the urgency
and seriousness it deserves.
AUTOPSY
We also use this medium to provide consent for Mr Emmanuel’s body to be released for an autopsy. However, to assure the family that the process is transparent, we have nominated Dr Humphrey H. Dan-Jumbo (Phone number – 07064623360) as Deeds Chambers representative to observe the autopsy process.
When contacted on the issue, the NLNG through its Head, Media Relations and Corporate Communications, Iwokiri Aprioku requested for time to investigate internally and revert with a response.
Knowledgeable sources disclosed to Kristina Reports that the deceased, Emmanuel Dan-Jumbo, alongside his colleague, Tamunosaki Pounds, allegedly lost their lives in a tragic on-site incident that occurred on Monday, March 16, 2026, within the NLNG’s gas liquefaction plant in Bonny.
