Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance on suspected illegal sludge oil refining activities.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
According to the commission, the refinery was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier operation that led to the closure of four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.
However, operatives discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.
The commission said two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the operators sourced sludge oil, also called black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting it to the facility in Ogere for processing.
Oyewale explained that the operators allegedly 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.
The EFCC added that security personnel at the facility told investigators that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities or the name of the company behind the operation.
The commission said its operatives had taken over the premises as investigations continued to establish the identities of the alleged operators, ownership of the facility and the extent of the suspected illegal activities.
The investigation will also determine the extent of the suspected economic sabotage associated with the operation.
