Ogun Illegal Oil Refinery Operated For Past 6 Years – Residents

Residents of the ancient Remo-Ijebu town in Ogun State on Wednesday alleged that the illegal oil refinery recently uncovered in their community has been operational for the past 6 years without anyone suspecting any illegal activity at the facility.

Consequently, the residents have called on both the state and federal government to hurriedly rescue their community from the activities of the foreign nationals allegedly connected to the illegal refinery operation before they become endangered species for kidnapping in their homeland.

The community’s “Safe Our Souls” call on government came on the heels of the discovery of an illegal oil refinery by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Saturday, 31 October 2026.

Some of the residents who spoke with LEADERSHIP on Wednesday said they were unaware of the facility uncovered by the EFCC, having no suspicion that such a refining process was ongoing in the area.

One of the residents, who volunteered to speak with LEADERSHIP, alleged that it would be difficult for officials of the Ogun State Inland Revenue Service (OG-IRS) to claim ignorance of the existence of the facility or activities at the site since they do go out almost on a daily basis to inspect factories that are indebted to the state government for revenue remittance.

The male respondent, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the security implications, explained that it has been so difficult for some residents to either sell, or be engaged for any unskilled job at the facility since it began operations over six years ago.

“All I can say is that if you are not well connected, you can not work there. You can see how tall the perimeter fences are. Nobody can see anyone working inside that compound, and even if you don’t have any business to carry out there, why would you want to go into that bushy area?

He explained that only a few Hausa-speaking men, who work as guards and gate men, have access to the facility, “and they also do sell petty things like cigarettes. That is all”.

A woman respondent, who identified herself simply as Mama Kafila, to speak with our correspondent, disclosed that management of the illegal oil refinery bluntly declined women, although she had previously requested permission to be food vendors during the period the refinery was functional, before EFCC officials raided the lithium processing factory around the place, after which all deserted the area.

Meanwhile, officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), as well as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, conducted a joint inspection of the illegal oil refinery earlier uncovered at the Ogere Remo axis of Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State for a first-hand assessment of the facility.

The NMDPRA and EFCC joint inspection team was accompanied by personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and that of the Department of State Security (DSS) to the facility, located on the outskirts of the Ogere Remo town in an environment that has, for years, been difficult for an outsider to suspect any illegal activity ongoing at the facility.

Located about 700 meters off the highway, with a very tall perimeter fence to conceal the illegal crude refining, the facility obviously depicted what investigators described as a crude but technically sophisticated refinery sitting on over three hectares of land in the bush that did not welcome neighbours in order to be able to continually conceal the secrecy of the illegal operation.

Upon arriving at the facility, LEADERSHIP observed surface and underground storage tanks of varying sizes that the suspects had installed for the illegal oil refining process, all of whom are now at large.

NMDPRA officials also observed underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil, waste products from refining, and substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO, otherwise known as diesel.

Addressing journalists who accompanied the inspection team, the Ogun State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Dr Atilola Akinyemi, said the facility was completely illegal, with no permit from any regulatory authority to operate.

Akinyemi confirmed that one of the underground storage facilities cited has an estimated capacity of more than 90,000 litres of refined product, with underground heating systems, water hydrants for cooling, and locally fabricated tanks and silos for separation.

“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,” Akinyemi said.

“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”.

Declaring all the products recovered at the facility as confiscated, the Ogun State NMDPRA coordinator emphatically stated that vehicles and other engines would face serious risks should such adulterated products enter Nigerian markets.

Commenting on the discovery of the facility, the EFCC Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Bawa Usman Kaltungo disclosed that the illegal refinery was uncovered through the whistleblowing mechanism.

“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”.

Kalango said the same Ogere axis has become a hub of illegal activities by foreign nationals, stressing that 14 Chinese nationals had previously been arrested a week earlier when operatives of his commission raided an illegal lithium processing factory in the area.

“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”.

Kalango, however, assured that principal owners of the illegal oil refinery, who are allegedly based in China, will soon be brought to book in Nigeria to answer for their activities.

“Once the investigation has been concluded and sufficient evidence gathered, they will have their day in court. That is essentially the process. They will face prosecution, and if convicted, the proceeds of their crimes will be forfeited to the government and subsequently put to appropriate use”.

EFCC also emphasised the need for Nigerians to be patriotic and to work collectively for the country’s development.

“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”.

“If we genuinely want this country to become better for all of us, we must collectively work together to put an end to these kinds of criminal activities”.