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 Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance of suspected illegal sludge oil refining activities in the area.
The latest discovery follows an earlier clampdown by the EFCC on four illegal lithium processing plants in the same area.
According to the EFCC, the facility was deserted when its operatives arrived, but the operatives discovered waste materials believed to be products of the refining process, as well as underground tanks suspected 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 indicated that the operators sourced black sludge from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before transporting it to the Ogere facility for processing.
The suspected refining process involved subjecting the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters to produce AGO for sale in the Nigerian market.
Security personnel at the facility reportedly told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators had never disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the operation.
The Commission has since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, determine ownership of the facility, and ascertain the full extent of the suspected illegal activities.
