A major Chinese manufacturing company, Crown Ceramics Nigeria Limited, has accused the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of unlawfully using police operatives to seal off its factory in Ogun State in what it described as a case of intimidation and harassment in favor of two rival directors.
In a petition addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and obtained by SaharaReporters, the company’s majority shareholders and directors, Messrs Zhang Kefeng, Zhang Linshuang, Liu Zhengyu and Liao Yuzhen, alleged that two of its directors, Chen Dongfeng and Kong Jun, have been making “deliberate, wicked and unlawful” attempts to hijack the company.
According to the letter, on June 11 and 12, 2025, Chen Dongfeng allegedly led over 25 fully armed policemen to violently gain access to the company’s factory along Igbesa Road in Ogun State. Workers and officers were reportedly held hostage for over seven hours while the factory was taken over.
“At the end of the unlawful operation, the duo looted company property in full view of armed policemen,” the directors claimed.
The company said the invasion disrupted operations, caused panic among workers, and left them unable to pay staff salaries, royalties and government charges.
The petition further alleged that despite being the lawful owners, the directors have been denied entry into their factory for weeks. On August 5, 2025, they attempted to inspect the premises but were blocked by policemen stationed at the gate, who reportedly told them they were acting on instructions from the IGP through the Ogun State Commissioner of Police.
During the encounter, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Igbesa Police Station, identified as CSP Kazeem, allegedly seized one of the directors’ mobile phones and refused to return it.
The Chinese investors emphasized that Crown Ceramics has brought significant foreign direct investment into Nigeria, contributing to the manufacturing sector and creating jobs in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
They stressed that no court order exists to justify the sealing of their private property, describing the IGP’s alleged action as “arbitrary” and “capable of sending a wrong signal to foreign investors.”
“Nigeria is not a lawless state at the whims of one man. The IGP is not a court of law,” the letter stated.
“We therefore appeal for urgent intervention to unseal our factory and allow us to continue contributing to the nation’s economy.”
Call for Presidential Intervention
The directors are urging President Tinubu to:
- Order the immediate removal of police from the factory gate
- Stop the IGP from interfering in their private business affairs
- Ensure those responsible for the alleged invasion are prosecuted
They warned that continued closure of the factory would result in huge financial losses, job cuts and a setback in Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity.
