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 commission disclosed that the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting illegal sludge oil refining activities.
The EFCC announced the discovery in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
According to Oyewale, the facility had been deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier operation that led to the discovery of four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
However, the operatives reportedly found waste materials from the refining process, as well as underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
Oyewale said two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
He added that 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 the illegal facility in Ogere for processing.
The EFCC said the discovery followed its efforts to identify and dismantle illegal industrial operations in the area.
