Twelve Foreign Ex-Employees Accuse Dantata & Sawoe of Withholding €380,000 and $3,500 in Unpaid Entitlements

Twelve former foreign workers have accused Nigerian construction firm Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited of refusing to settle their outstanding salaries, severance packages, allowances, and other contractually agreed benefits. The total sum claimed by the former expatriate employees amounts to €380,000 and $3,500.

The workers, who were disengaged at various times between 2022 and 2025, remain unpaid despite clear provisions in their respective employment contracts regarding final settlements upon termination. The affected individuals Wenz Markus, Milic Negovan, Madler Sven, Kojic Dragan, Kovacevic Goran, Gehlen Hermann, Erdemir Ocal, Rittner Richard, Ozturk Yasar, Stanisic Mico, Jerkic Stevo, and Lima Francesco have since returned to their home countries while awaiting their funds.

Leaked corporate documents, including a 2017 appointment letter for a plant technician and subsequent contract amendments, detail specific guidelines regarding overtime compensation, foreign service allowances, and final statements of account upon termination. One termination notice from December 2024 explicitly assured an employee that a “final statement” covering salaries and allowances would be executed, but the former staff members state these commitments were never fulfilled.

The breakdown of the specific amounts allegedly owed to the individuals is as follows:

Madler Sven: €90,000

Gehlen Hermann: €80,000

Wenz Markus: €60,000

Lima Francesco:€51,000

Ozturk Yasar: €25,000

Milic Negovan: €20,000

Kojic Dragan & Jerkic Stevo:** €17,000 each

Rittner Richard: €10,000

Erdemir Ocal:€6,000

Stanisic Mico: €4,000

Kovacevic Goran: $3,500

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, acting as legal counsel for the 12 ex-employees, issued a formal demand letter to Dantata & Sawoe’s headquarters in Abuja.

The letter states that the company’s continuous refusal to pay constitutes a direct breach of contract that has subjected the former expatriates to severe financial and emotional distress. The legal team has given the construction giant a seven-day ultimatum to remit the outstanding funds, warning that a failure to comply will result in immediate legal proceedings in court.