The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

The commission said the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following credible intelligence and surveillance on the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.

The EFCC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, saying the facility was found deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.

Oyewale said operatives discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil, with two of the underground tanks inspected containing substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, otherwise known as diesel.

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

He added that the operators 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 told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities nor the name of the company behind the facility, and the commission said its operatives have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators and ownership.