The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The discovery was made on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the commission, following credible intelligence and surveillance on 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.
“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,” Oyewale said.
According to him, the facility was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following the commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
He said operatives, however, found waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
“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,” the statement noted.
Oyewale said inspection of the facility revealed two underground tanks containing substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, also known as diesel.
“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,” he said.
He explained that 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,” Oyewale added.