By Stephen Simon
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun State.
The discovery followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on October 31 by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, after weeks of surveillance on suspected illegal sludge oil refiners.
The facility was deserted when EFCC operatives arrived, but investigators discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
Two of the tanks inspected reportedly contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the operators sourced sludge oil from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before transporting the material to Ogere for processing.
The suspected operators allegedly 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.
The commission said security personnel at the facility could not provide the identities of the Chinese nationals allegedly operating the refinery or the company behind the business.
The EFCC has taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish ownership, identify those responsible and determine the extent of the alleged economic sabotage.
The discovery comes after an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the same area.
