EFCC, NMDPRA Raid Chinese-Linked Illegal Refinery in Ogun, Uncover 90,000-Litre Underground Tanks

EFCC, NMDPRA Raid Chinese-Linked Illegal Refinery in Ogun, Uncover 90,000-Litre Underground Tanks

 

Officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have uncovered an illegal refinery allegedly linked to Chinese nationals at Ogere-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The facility, which occupies more than three hectares of land, was raided on Wednesday following intelligence gathered by the EFCC, revealing what investigators described as a well-fenced but unauthorised crude oil processing operation.

During the operation, the joint team discovered underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil, a waste product from refining, as well as substances believed to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.

NMDPRA officials subsequently sealed the facility pending further investigation.

Speaking during the inspection, the Ogun State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Dr Atilola Akinyemi, said the facility was operating without approval or a licence from any recognised regulatory authority.

He disclosed that an underground storage installation behind the facility had an estimated capacity of more than 90,000 litres, alongside underground heating systems, water hydrants for cooling, locally fabricated tanks and silos designed for separating processed substances.

Describing the operation as illegal, Akinyemi said the operators appeared to possess technical expertise but had deliberately designed the facility to evade regulatory oversight.

“This facility you see here is very crude and completely illegal. This is not a refinery by any standard. It does not have a permit from any regulatory authority and its operations are unknown to the relevant authorities.

“They appear to be technically skilled people who have deliberately designed this facility to circumvent government regulations. When we examine their final product, it may look like diesel to the average person, but we cannot classify it as diesel until laboratory tests have been conducted,” he said.

The EFCC Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, said the discovery pointed to a well-established illegal refining operation involving several stages of processing sludge into products resembling diesel.

“What we have seen here is an illegal refinery with a complete setup, featuring all the processes through which sludge passes before being converted into what is commonly referred to as diesel. Judging by the nature of this facility, it has been operating for years,” Kaltungo said.

He raised concerns over the growing involvement of foreign nationals in illegal industrial activities around the Ogere axis, recalling that 14 Chinese nationals were arrested in the area a week earlier over alleged illegal lithium processing.

According to him, investigations into the earlier operation revealed immigration irregularities, with some of the suspects allegedly lacking passports, while others were found to have overstayed their visas by about three months.

“Some of them had passports, while others did not. Even among those who had passports, we discovered that some of their visas had expired about three months earlier. Yet, there were still individuals operating there without passports,” he said.

Kaltungo vowed that those behind the illegal refinery would be identified and brought to justice.

Also speaking, the Director of the EFCC’s Department of Proceeds of Crime Management, Mr Gbolahan Latona, condemned the activities, warning that illegal operations of this nature undermine legitimate investments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

“Imagine allowing saboteurs like these to operate freely and undermine the efforts of legitimate investors like Dangote Refinery. Ultimately, it is Nigerians who will suffer,” Latona said.

The discovery comes amid renewed efforts by regulatory and law enforcement agencies to clamp down on illegal industrial operations, economic sabotage and activities capable of undermining investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.