United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to commit 9 people linked to Western Metal Products Company (WEMPCO) to jail for allegedly forcibly eradicating a court-appointed receiver-manager from the commercial group’s metal manufacturing unit in Ogun State, in defiance of a courtroom order regarding a disputed N61.45 billion debt.
In a contempt proceedings instituted in opposition to the people, the financial institution accused them of wilfully disobeying an order dated 2nd April, 2026, that froze funds belonging to WEMPCO and different defendants and appointed a receiver-manager over specified belongings.
In the discover of the committal proceedings filed in pursuant to the courtroom order, the financial institution accused the respondents of “wilful, deliberate and orchestrated disobedience” of the courtroom’s directive.
UBA is particularly asking the courtroom to have them imprisoned till they adjust to the order.
Those named within the proceedings are Lewis Shui Noor Tung, Phillip Shui Che Tung, Alhaji M.A. Ola Yusuf, Tung Lawrence Blake, Alli Aare Hadji Tokunbo, Paul Shui Po Tung, Robert Tung, CL Ip and Taiwo Alli.
In an affidavit, the financial institution alleged that courtroom bailiffs had handed WEMPCO’s Magboro/Ibafo plant over to the appointed receiver-manager, Romeo Ese Michael, earlier than the respondents allegedly mobilised thugs, broke the receiver’s locks and threatened his workers with “serious injury”.
It additional alleged that the respondents continued to function the enterprise and divert funds regardless of the subsisting courtroom order.
The listed contemptions haven’t responded to the appliance.
The contempt motion stems from an order made on April 2 this 12 months by Justice Akintayo Aluko, who directed the preservation of funds belonging to WEMPCO and associated defendants, as much as N61,445,695,993.76, throughout 27 banks and monetary know-how platforms.
The decide additionally appointed Michael as receiver-manager over belongings not already pledged underneath a 2019 credit score settlement.
The order directed the related monetary establishments and platforms, together with Moniepoint, OPay and Kuda, to reveal and protect the defendants’ funds, topic to its phrases.
The receiver-manager’s powers additionally lengthen to 2 Wärtsilä energy mills related to the dispute, wherever they might be discovered.
UBA maintains that the alleged removing of the receiver-manager and the respondents’ continued management of the manufacturing unit have pissed off its efforts to implement the order and get well the disputed debt.
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