United Bank for Africa Plc is urging a Federal High Court in Lagos to jail nine executives tied to manufacturing giant Western Metal Products Co. The pan-African lender claims the industrialists chased out a court-appointed receiver from an Ogun State factory to block a N61.45 billion ($45.7 million) debt-recovery drive.

The bank filed committal papers accusing the respondents of deliberate disobedience of an April 2 judicial order. UBA took out newspaper notices this week after obtaining court clearance for substituted service. The motion asks the judge to remand the executives in prison until they surrender control of the seized plant.

Factory clash sparks committal bid

Those targeted include prominent members of the Tung family and their top Nigerian operational associates. Among them are Alli Aare Hadji Tokunbo, managing director of publicly traded Nigerian Enamelware Plc, and board member Robert Tung. Court filings list the respondents at the group’s corporate headquarters in Ogba, an industrial district of Lagos.

UBA alleges that shortly after court bailiffs handed possession of the Magboro-Ibafo plant to receiver-manager Romeo Ese Michael, the defendants struck back. An affidavit claims the group hired heavies who broke padlocks, threatened the receiver’s crew with violence, and took back the factory floor to divert revenue.

Secret talks turn sour

The filing outlines months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering that quickly collapsed into mutual acrimony. Defense counsel from SimmonsCooper Partners requested urgent peace talks in late June, pitching an immediate standstill and structured repayment. UBA’s lead litigator Temilolu Adamolekun agreed to sit down, despite questioning how settlement offers squared with muscle on the ground.

Both camps met at UBA’s Marina headquarters on June 26, agreeing to conduct a joint site walkthrough days later. That planned inspection never happened. Court papers state that WEMPCO representatives failed to appear on site and severed contact entirely, leaving the borrower in direct, physical control of the contested steel assets.

Bank accounts frozen nationwide

The broader recovery action stretches far beyond the Ogun factory gates. Justice Akintayo Aluko ordered 27 commercial banks and major fintechs, including Moniepoint and Kuda, to freeze accounts linked to the industrial outfit. The sweeping decree also authorized Michael to locate and impound two industrial-grade Wärtsilä power generators.

Seventeen corporate entities sit in the bank’s crosshairs, including Lagos Oriental Hotel Ltd. and Prime Nigeria Tiles Co. For Nigeria’s commercial bench, the suit marks a major test of judicial authority over asset seizures. Committing controlling shareholders to prison would signal sharper teeth for receivers targeting chronically delinquent corporate debtors.

Historic dynasty facing liquidation

Founded by late entrepreneur K.F. Tung, who arrived in Nigeria in 1967, the Chinese-backed conglomerate built an empire spanning roofing sheets, enamelware, and hospitality. Yet balance-sheet cracks have widened dramatically in recent years. In 2020, tax authorities clamped down on WEMPCO accounts following years of unremitted company and sales taxes.

Mounting leverage has now caught up with the family’s crown jewels. As creditors tighten the net, the group has explored selling its landmark luxury property, the Lagos Oriental Hotel on the Lekki expressway. Without a cash infusion or court reprieve, the dynasty risks seeing its remaining industrial footprint dismantled entirely.