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 EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence reports and surveillance on suspected illegal sludge oil refining activities.
According to the commission, the facility was deserted when its operatives arrived, but they discovered waste products from refining activities and underground tanks believed to have been used for processing sludge oil.
Two of the tanks reportedly contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
The EFCC explained that preliminary investigations showed that the operators allegedly transported sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State to the facility in Ogere for processing.
Investigators reportedly discovered that the operators used intense heat to process the sludge oil, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through different chambers and filters to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.
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The commission further disclosed that security personnel stationed at the facility told investigators that the Chinese operators never revealed their identities or the name of the company behind the operation.
The EFCC has since taken over the premises as investigations continue to identify those behind the refinery, establish ownership of the facility and determine the extent of the suspected illegal activities.
The agency also said it was investigating possible economic sabotage linked to the operation.
The discovery comes shortly after the EFCC raided four illegal lithium processing facilities in the same Ogere area. However, the commission has not established whether the suspected operators of the refinery were connected to those facilities.
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