Ogun raid: EFCC links Chinese-run illegal refinery to alcohol, mining operations
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has identified a range of suspected illicit operations, such as unregistered alcohol production, unauthorized timber exports, and illegal mining activities, during its investigation into an illegal refinery reportedly run by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun State.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede announced the findings during an inspection of the facility and a briefing to officials regarding the commission’s efforts to address alleged financial and environmental crimes.
These discoveries build on an earlier operation on October 31, when EFCC operatives uncovered an abandoned oil processing facility in Ogere after weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering. During that operation, agents from the Lagos Zonal Directorate Two found underground tanks believed to be used for heating and processing sludge oil.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the operators obtained the oil waste, commonly referred to as black sludge, from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State before transporting it to Ogere for processing. The commission further noted that two tanks found on the premises contained substances believed to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel.
Olukoyede also connected these findings to previous enforcement actions against four illegal lithium processing facilities in the region. He stated that the commission is expanding its investigation to assess the full scope of the suspected activities and identify those responsible.
