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 Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, following intelligence gathering and surveillance on the activities of suspected illegal sludge oil refiners.
According to the Commission, the facility was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier operation that led to the discovery of four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
However, investigators recovered waste products suspected to be from the refining process, 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 indicated that the operators sourced sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting it to the Ogere facility for processing.
The EFCC disclosed 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.
Security personnel at the facility reportedly informed investigators that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the operation.
The Commission has consequently taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities.
The EFCC described the investigation as part of its efforts to tackle economic and financial crimes, including activities suspected to constitute economic sabotage
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