Nigeria’s EFCC Uncovers Refinery Allegedly Operated By Chinese Nationals In Ogun State

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun state, the agency said.

In a statement, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said the refinery was discovered during an operation conducted by operatives of the agency’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 on October 31.

Oyewale said the operation followed intelligence gathering and surveillance on the activities of suspected illegal sludge oil refiners.

He added that the facility had been deserted when operatives arrived.

The discovery followed an earlier operation in which the commission shut down four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.

“However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location,” the statement said.

“During the raid, underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing the sludge oil were also discovered.

“Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.”

According to Oyewale, preliminary investigations showed 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 facility in Ogere for processing.

He said the operators 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 sale in the Nigerian market.

Oyewale said security personnel at the facility told investigators that the Chinese operators had not disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the refinery.

He added that EFCC 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.