EFCC DISCOVERS SUSPECTED ILLEGAL DIESEL REFINERY OPERATED BY CHINESE IN OGUN

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered a suspected illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

The operation was carried out on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, following intelligence and surveillance on the activities of suspected illegal sludge oil refiners.

The EFCC said 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, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the site, alongside underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

Two of the tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the operators allegedly sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before transporting it to the facility in Ogere for processing.

Further findings indicated that the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through a series of chambers and filters in a process believed to produce AGO for sale in the Nigerian market.

The commission said security personnel at the facility told its operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the operation.

The EFCC said its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 had taken over the premises as investigations continued to establish the identities of the operators, ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities.

The commission added that the investigation would also determine the extent of the alleged economic sabotage.