The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has intensified its crackdown on illicit industrial operations in Ogun State after uncovering a suspected illegal oil refinery in Ogere, an area that recently came under scrutiny over unlawful mineral-processing activities.
The EFCC disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, who said the commission had uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The discovery followed intelligence-led surveillance by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 targeting suspected sludge-oil refiners, leading investigators to a facility in Ogere where concealed underground infrastructure was allegedly used to transform petroleum waste, commonly known as black sludge, into marketable fuel products.
The facility was found abandoned when EFCC operatives stormed the premises, but investigators uncovered multiple indicators of recent refining activity, including petroleum-processing waste scattered across the site.
“Waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location,” Dele Oyewale said, underscoring suspicions that the operation had been functioning shortly before the raid.
He added that investigators also uncovered underground tanks used for heating and processing sludge oil, with two containing substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, otherwise known as diesel, further strengthening suspicions that the facility was engaged in unauthorised petroleum refining.
Preliminary findings suggest that operators sourced sludge oil from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting the material to Ogun State for treatment.
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Investigators believe the substance was exposed to extreme heat and channelled through a network of chambers and filtration systems designed to extract lighter petroleum derivatives. The end product was reportedly diesel intended for circulation within the domestic market.
The discovery comes days after the EFCC raided four illegal lithium-processing plants in Ogere, arresting 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian while recovering lithium-bearing materials, electronic devices and a trailer truck.
Although authorities have not established a direct operational link between the refinery and the earlier lithium-processing facilities, the recurrence of alleged illicit industrial activities within the same locality has heightened concerns among investigators.
The development has also raised fresh questions about the use of Ogun’s industrial corridors by foreign-backed operators engaged in unlicensed extraction and processing ventures.
Security personnel at the refinery reportedly informed investigators that the individuals running the operation neither disclosed their identities nor revealed the company behind the facility.
As a result, the commission has expanded its probe to determine the ownership structure of the site, identify those responsible for its activities and uncover any wider network connected to the operation.
The EFCC has since assumed control of the premises while forensic and intelligence investigations continue. Officials say the inquiry will focus not only on identifying the operators but also on assessing the full scale of the suspected economic sabotage, environmental violations and illegal petroleum-processing activities linked to the facility
THE PUNCH
