Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
EFCC said the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance of the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.
The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
He said the facility was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
But he said operatives discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
The statement partly read, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by Chinese in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
“The operation, conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, followed credible intelligence and surveillance by the Commission on the activities of the illegal sludge oil refiners.
“The refinery was found deserted when EFCC operatives stormed the premises, following the Commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area. However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location.”
Oyewale added that operatives also discovered underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
He further stated, “Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing,”
Oyewale said the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in a process believed to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.
“Personnel at the facility told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities nor the name of the company behind the facility.
“Consequently, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage.”
