The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has discovered a suspected illegal oil refinery allegedly linked to Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The facility was uncovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance on suspected illegal sludge oil processing activities.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the facility was deserted when operatives arrived, following an earlier raid on four illegal lithium-processing plants in the area.
A search of the premises, however, led to the discovery of waste materials believed to have resulted from oil refining, alongside underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
The commission said two of the tanks contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, commonly referred to as diesel.
Preliminary findings indicated that the operators allegedly obtained sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting the material to Ogere for processing.
The EFCC explained that the suspected operators reportedly used intense heat to process the sludge oil, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in what investigators believe was an attempt to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.
Security personnel at the premises reportedly told investigators that the Chinese nationals operating the facility had not revealed their identities or the name of the company behind the business.
The commission said it had taken control of the premises while investigations continued to determine the identities of those behind the operation, establish ownership of the facility and ascertain the full extent of the suspected illegal activities.
The EFCC described the discovery as part of its ongoing efforts to combat economic and environmental crimes.