Operatives investigating illicit mineral processing have uncovered an illegal oil refinery in Ogun State. The underground installation operated in the Ogere corridor, where industrial equipment was assembled to convert raw sludge into automotive fuel.
Security teams stormed the fenced compound following prolonged surveillance of suspected oil thieves. While the industrial plant stood empty when agents arrived, investigators discovered an extensive network of heated underground vats and chemical filtering units.
Inspections of the subterranean reservoirs confirmed the presence of refined petroleum products. At least two tanks contained commercial quantities of automotive gas oil, commonly known as diesel, ready for distribution across regional transport networks.
How the Sludge Conversion Network Operated
Investigators established that the illegal oil refinery in Ogun sourced petroleum waste directly from coastal hubs. Massive consignments of heavy black sludge were transported by road from Warri in Delta State and Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
Once delivered to the Ogere site, operators pumped the thick residue into sealed processing vats. The sludge was subjected to high heat, causing lighter hydrocarbon fractions to vaporize and travel through condensing chambers and filters.
The crude process condensed the vapors into usable diesel for sale across open markets. Unprocessed residue and toxic waste were discharged on-site, posing severe environmental hazards to local water tables and surrounding farmland.
Search for Unnamed Foreign Operators
Local site guards questioned at the compound revealed that Chinese nationals managed the clandestine facility. The foreign managers concealed their legal names and operated without registering an official corporate identity.
The raid followed an earlier government clampdown on four unlicensed lithium processing plants located within the same industrial corridor. The prior enforcement actions likely alerted the refinery managers, prompting them to abandon the equipment and flee.
Law enforcement agencies have expanded their intelligence dragnet across neighbouring towns to identify the financiers behind the illegal oil refinery in Ogun. Authorities are reviewing regional transport manifests to trace the tankers that hauled the black sludge across state boundaries.
