Illegal oil refinery linked to Chinese operators discovered in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on P.M. News
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission discovered an illegal oil refinery in Ogere, Ogun State, during an operation on 31 October 2026. The facilities contained underground tanks and substances suspected to be diesel; the operators, identified as Chinese, remain at large, according to the agency’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered an illegal oil refinery in Ogere, Ogun State, during an operation on Saturday 31 October. The agency suspects unidentified Chinese operators ran the site, P.M. News reports.
Agents found the facilities deserted, along with refining residues and underground tanks. Two of the tanks contained substances suspected to be diesel, known as AGO in Nigeria, according to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.
Initial investigations indicate that the operators transported oil sludge from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to be processed in Ogere. The process reportedly involved heating the residues to extract lighter petroleum components for producing diesel, Oyewale said.
The EFCC has taken control of the site and is continuing its investigation to identify the operators and determine who owns it. The agency recently discovered four illegal lithium-processing plants run by Chinese nationals in the same area of Ogun State, P.M. News reports.
