The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, 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 refinery was deserted when operatives arrived at the premises.
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 reads.
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 the EFCC spokesperson, preliminary investigations showed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri, Delta state, and Port Harcourt, Rivers state, before transporting it to the facility in Ogere for processing.
He added that 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 never disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the refinery.
