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 EFCC, in a statement on Tuesday, said the operation was conducted on Saturday by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the commission, following credible intelligence and surveillance on the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.
EFCC said the refinery was found deserted when its operatives stormed the premises, following the commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
However, it said waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location.
During the raid, it said underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing the sludge oil were discovered.
Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel, the commission said.
It said preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing.
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“Further investigation revealed that the illegal 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,” it added.
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.
The commission said operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage.
