The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun State.
The commission said the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance on suspected illegal sludge oil refining activities.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
According to the commission, the facility was deserted when its operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier operation that led to the shutdown of four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
However, the operatives reportedly discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
The EFCC said two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
It added that preliminary investigations indicated that the operators sourced sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before transporting it to Ogere for processing.
Oyewale explained that the operators allegedly 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.
The commission further disclosed that personnel found at the facility told investigators that the Chinese operators had neither disclosed their identities nor revealed the name of the company behind the operation.
The EFCC said its operatives had taken over the premises as investigations continued to establish the identities of the suspected operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the alleged illegal activities.
It added that the investigation was aimed at uncovering possible economic sabotage linked to the operation.
