The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has discovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly run by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
In a statement posted on its X handle on Tuesday, the anti-graft agency said operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 carried out the raid on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
The operation followed credible intelligence and surveillance of illegal sludge oil refiners operating in the area.
When the operatives arrived, the facility had been abandoned. They nevertheless found waste products from the refining process on the premises.
The raid came after the Commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the same area.
Underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing the sludge oil were also found at the site. Two of the tanks inspected held substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
Preliminary investigations showed that the operators obtained sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State, and trucked it to the Ogere facility for processing.
Investigators further found that the sludge oil was subjected to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through a series of chambers and filters.
The process is believed to have yielded AGO for sale in the Nigerian market.
Security personnel at the facility told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the facility.
The EFCC has since taken over the premises. Investigations are continuing to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility, and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage.
