The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has taken over a suspected illegal oil refinery in Ogere, Ogun State, after its operators, allegedly Chinese nationals, abandoned the facility before operatives arrived.
The commission said preliminary findings indicated that sludge oil sourced from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was transported to the site and processed into suspected diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, explaining that operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 discovered the facility on Saturday, October 31, following intelligence gathering and surveillance.
According to the commission, the discovery came after an earlier operation against four illegal lithium processing plants in the same area.
Although the refinery was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, they reportedly found waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
“Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel,” Oyewale said.
He explained that the operators allegedly subjected the sludge oil, also known as black sludge, to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in a process believed to produce diesel.
The EFCC said the investigation was yet to establish the identities of the operators and the company behind the facility, raising questions about who controlled the operation and how long it had been running.
“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 statement said.
The commission said it had taken over the premises while investigations continued to determine the ownership of the facility, identify those involved and establish the full extent of the suspected illegal activities.
It described the operation as a matter of concern over possible economic sabotage, but did not disclose any arrests in connection with the refinery as of the time of the announcement.
