…Underground Tanks, Suspected Diesel, Refining Waste Discovered In Ogere
…Operators Allegedly Use Heating Chambers, Filters To Produce Automotive Gas Oil
…Commission Investigates Foreign Nationals After Facility Was Found Deserted
Daud Olatunji
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun State, with underground storage tanks containing substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, popularly known as diesel.
The discovery followed an intelligence-driven operation conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, as part of an investigation into the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners operating in the area.
The commission disclosed that its operatives found the facility deserted when they arrived, apparently following an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the same Ogere area.
However, a search of the premises reportedly uncovered waste products from the refining process and 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, also known as diesel.
According to the EFCC, preliminary investigations indicated that the suspected operators sourced black sludge, a waste petroleum product, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting it to Ogere for processing.
The agency said the operators allegedly 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 diesel for commercial distribution in the Nigerian market.
The commission further disclosed that security personnel stationed at the facility told investigators that the Chinese nationals operating the refinery never revealed their identities or the name of the company allegedly behind the operation.
The development has raised fresh questions about the activities of foreign nationals in the country’s petroleum sector, particularly the alleged operation of unlicensed refining facilities and the potential economic and environmental consequences.
The EFCC said it had taken over the premises as investigations continued to establish the identities of the suspected operators, determine the ownership of the facility and uncover the full extent of the alleged illegal activities.
The commission added that investigators were examining possible economic sabotage associated with the operation.
The discovery comes shortly after the anti-graft agency announced a crackdown on four illegal lithium processing facilities in the same Ogere axis.
However, the EFCC has yet to establish whether the suspected operators of the illegal refinery have any connection with the owners or operators of the lithium processing plants.
The commission said further investigations would determine the circumstances surrounding the refinery’s operations and identify all those allegedly involved.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the investigation is ongoing, while the EFCC has yet to announce any arrest in connection with the suspected illegal refinery.
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