The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered a suspected illegal oil refinery allegedly linked to Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance over suspected illegal sludge oil processing activities.
The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to Oyewale, the facility was deserted when the operatives arrived, following an earlier raid on four illegal lithium-processing plants in the area.
A search of the premises reportedly led to the discovery of waste materials believed to have been generated from oil refining activities, as well as 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 known as diesel.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspected operators allegedly sourced sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting it to Ogere for processing.
The EFCC explained that the operators allegedly applied intense heat to the sludge oil, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in a process investigators suspect was intended to produce diesel for commercial sale in Nigeria.
Security personnel at the premises reportedly informed investigators that the Chinese nationals allegedly behind the operation had not disclosed their identities or the name of the company responsible for the business.
The commission said it had taken control of the facility while investigations continued to establish the identities of the suspected operators, determine ownership of the premises and uncover the full extent of the alleged illegal activities.
The EFCC described the discovery as part of its ongoing efforts to tackle economic and environmental crimes across the country.
