By Peter Omopo
An Ogun State-based industrialist, Mr. Taiwo Aremu, Chief Executive Officer of TEBAMS Gases and Allied Products Limited, has accused a Chinese manufacturing company, Sheng Xin Industrial Co. Ltd., of orchestrating the demolition of his company’s gas production plant, allegedly worth over ₦1 billion.
The gas plant, located at Kilometre 4, Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, was reportedly demolished on September 27 and 29, 2025, in an operation allegedly carried out by officials of the Ogun State Task Force.
Allegations of Intimidation and Illegal Demolition
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Aremu claimed that his company had been subjected to months of intimidation and harassment by the Chinese firm, which insisted it owned the land. He alleged that despite having valid ownership documents, the task force moved in and demolished factory structures, machinery, and equipment.
“They dropped about 46 containers to block our entrance, locked our staff and customers inside, and later came with policemen and bulldozers to demolish everything,” Aremu recounted. “They destroyed our production units, broke machines, removed our fence, and blocked the gate. I told my staff not to resist them to avoid bloodshed.”
Aremu said the disputed land was legally purchased in August 2023 from the Asorogbe family and that his company followed all due processes, including land ratification and survey documentation. He added that the matter was already pending at the Ogun State Lands Registry under file number IKN/SL/C98.
He further accused the Ologere of Ogere, Oba James Saliu, of reselling the land to the Chinese company despite his prior ownership.
“We paid between ₦50 million and ₦60 million per acre, but the Chinese firm reportedly bought it at ₦500 million per acre from the same family. The king supported them, and that’s why they felt untouchable,” he alleged.
Petition to Ogun Government
Aremu, who said he invested his retirement savings into the project, urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene by unsealing his factory and compelling those responsible for the demolition to compensate his company.
His legal representatives, Triwater Solicitors, in a petition to the Ogun State Governor and the Commissioner for Justice, accused the Chinese company of “conducting themselves in actions likely to cause a breach of peace and endanger lives and property.”
“My immediate demand is for the government to unseal our factory and ensure those behind the demolition pay for the damages. The total loss is well over ₦1 billion,” Aremu said.
Chinese Firm Denies Allegations
However, the Managing Director of Sheng Xin Industrial Co. Ltd., Mr. Ifeanyi James, denied all allegations, insisting that his company legally acquired the land and obtained all required government approvals.
“He (Aremu) just wants to paint us black. We have all the required documents, including the Certificate of Occupancy. The demolition was lawful, with approval from the state’s Building Production Management Authority,” James said.
James presented copies of a Deed of Assignment signed by Oba Saliu on February 2, 2023, a Certificate of Occupancy duly signed by the Ogun State Governor, and a demolition permit issued by Mrs. Oladogbon T. F., Acting General Manager of the Ogun State Building Production Management Authority.
“He is free to remove his things. We have even gone to the police to report that after the demolition, he refused to come and pack his property,” James added.
Disputed Ownership and Royal Involvement
While Oba Saliu maintained that the Chinese firm legally bought the land from him, a representative of the Asorogbe family, Alhaji Sikiru Awosipe, dismissed the monarch’s claim, asserting that the property rightfully belongs to his family.
“The land belongs to our family. We inherited it and sold it only to Alhaji Taiwo Aremu. We don’t know how the king got involved,” Awosipe stated, adding that the dispute is already before the court.
Aremu, however, insists that the Certificate of Occupancy presented by the Chinese firm was fake, arguing that “it is not possible to have two valid C-of-Os for the same parcel of land.”
Government, Police React
When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, said she was not aware of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Kayode Akinmade, emphasized the importance of proper land documentation in ownership disputes.
“For anyone to lay claim to land, they must have a valid Certificate of Occupancy. If a land is under government acquisition, even if nothing happens now, it can be reclaimed anytime in the future,” Akinmade stated. “Anyone with genuine documents should present them; the government will take it up from there.”
Court Case Looms
The matter is reportedly being reviewed in court, with both parties holding on to their claims of ownership. As legal proceedings continue, the TEBAMS plant remains sealed, leaving the fate of the multimillion-naira investment hanging in the balance.
Industry observers have described the dispute as a test case for property rights, foreign investment ethics, and the rule of law in Nigeria’s industrial sector.
