The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that it uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere space of Ogun State and traced the sludge oil found on the facility to Delta and Rivers states.
This was disclosed in a press release on Tuesday by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity on the EFCC.
The growth comes days after the Commission arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian over alleged illegal lithium processing actions at 4 amenities in Ogun State.
What the EFCC is saying
According to the Commission, the operation was performed on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, following credible intelligence and surveillance on the actions of illegal sludge oil refiners.
The EFCC spokesperson acknowledged that the refinery was abandoned when operatives stormed the premises, following the Commission’s earlier clampdown on 4 different illegal lithium processing vegetation in the world.
- “However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location,” the Commission added.
The spokesperson defined that in the course of the raid, underground tanks allegedly used for heating and processing sludge oil had been additionally found.
Two of the underground tanks inspected had been stated to include substances suspected to be diesel (Automotive Gas Oil).
The Commission maintained that preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, often known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing.
The Commission additional defined that the illegal operators subjected the sludge oil to intense warmth, permitting lighter petroleum elements to cross by means of a collection of chambers and filters in a course of believed to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) on the market in the Nigerian market.
Citing safety personnel on the facility, the EFCC acknowledged that the Chinese operators had neither disclosed their identities nor revealed the identify of the corporate behind the power.
Consequently, operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 have taken over the premises.
The Commission emphasised that investigations would proceed to set up the identities of the operators, the possession of the power and the complete extent of the suspected illegal actions and financial sabotage.
Nigeria intensifies illegal mining crackdown
The newest growth comes amid sustained efforts by regulation enforcement and anti-graft companies to sort out unauthorised mining and refining operations, together with figuring out people and financiers accountable for illegal mineral extraction.
In May 2025, the Federal High Court in Jos ordered the deportation of 4 Chinese nationals — Liang Quin Yong, Wang Huajie, Zhong Jiajing and Long Kechong — following their conviction for illegal dealings in strong minerals.
The court docket additionally ordered the forfeiture of roughly ₦134.9 million linked to the illegal actions to the Federal Government.
What it is best to know
In a associated growth, the Nigerian Navy lately uncovered a suspected illegal refining web site containing roughly 114,500 litres of petroleum merchandise in Rivers State.
The discovery was made on Thursday, October 15, 2026, amid intensified operations in opposition to crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta.
The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a press release detailing the Navy’s current operations.
The Navy additionally arrested 10 suspected drug offenders in a separate joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Delta State between October 14 and 15, 2026.
