EFCC Uncovers Chinese-Operated Illegal Oil Refinery In Ogun

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 facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, following intelligence and surveillance over the activities of suspected illegal sludge oil refiners.

EFCC operatives at the site of an alleged illegal oil refinery in Ogere, Ogun State, uncovered during a raid on October 31, 2026. Photo: EFCC.

According to the EFCC, the premises were deserted when operatives raided the facility, following an earlier operation against four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.

However, investigators found waste products from the refining process, as well as underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

Two of the tanks contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting it to Ogere for processing.

The commission said 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 told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators had not disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the refinery.

The EFCC said its operatives had taken over the premises as investigations continued to establish the identities of the operators, ownership of the facility and the extent of the suspected illegal activities.

The commission described the operation as part of its efforts to tackle economic and environmental crimes.