EFCC busts Chinese-operated illegal oil refinery in Ogun
By Ayorinde Oluokun
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC said it has uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by some yet-to-be identified Chinese in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The operation, conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, followed credible intelligence and surveillance by the Commission on the activities of the illegal sludge oil refiners.
Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency who announced this in a statement on Tuesday said the refinery was found deserted when EFCC operatives stormed the premises.
But he said waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location.
During the raid, the EFCC operatives also discovered underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing the sludge oil
Oyewale said two of the underground tanks inspected by the operatives contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.
The spokesperson added that preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing.
He added that further investigation revealed that the illegal operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through a series of chambers and filters in a process believed to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) for sale in the Nigerian market.
Oyewale added that the security personnel found at the facility told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities nor the name of the company behind the facility.
He operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage.
EFCC had also recently discovered four illegal lithium processing plants being operated by Chinese nationals in the same area of Ogun State