EFCC to bring licensed operators into illegal oil, mineral facilities uncovered in Ogere

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) plans to seek court approval to bring licensed operators into industrial facilities uncovered during a raid on alleged illegal petroleum refining and solid mineral processing activities in Ogere, Ogun State.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the location after the operation, in a clip posted on the Arise News X page on Saturday.

He said the commission intends to work with relevant regulatory agencies to identify qualified professionals and legitimate businesses that could operate the facilities, rather than destroy the infrastructure or allow workers to lose their jobs.

EFCC seeks licensed operators for Ogere facilities

Olukoyede said the proposed arrangement would only proceed after the commission obtains the necessary court orders. The EFCC has not announced any appointed operators or confirmed that the facilities have been handed over to new businesses.

He explained that the commission would involve relevant regulatory agencies in identifying professionals and businesses licensed to manage the industrial facilities, with the aim of preserving the assets and redirecting their activities towards legitimate economic use.

The EFCC chairman said:

• “We are going to apply to court for all the necessary orders. And we will bring in all the relevant regulatory agencies to go and bring professionals, those who are licensed to run this kind of businesses.”
• He said the commission would follow due legal process and would not destroy the facilities, describing the preservation of productive assets as part of its approach to fighting financial and economic crimes.
• “One of the high points of the fight against financial crimes and economic crime is to use it to stimulate the economy. So all these things will not be destroyed. We are going to preserve them.” Olukoyede added.

The proposed arrangement, he noted, is intended to protect Nigerians employed at the facilities while ensuring that any future operations are conducted by qualified and properly licensed businesses.

EFCC uncovers illegal industrial zone in Ogun

The proposed arrangement follows the discovery of what Olukoyede described as an extensive industrial operation in Ogere, comprising facilities allegedly involved in illegal petroleum refining, processing of high-value solid minerals, including lithium, and wood processing for export.

The EFCC chairman said the location contained multiple facilities equipped with heavy machinery and independent electricity generation to sustain their activities.

• The commission said its investigation covers suspected money laundering, economic sabotage and illegal mining, including the activities of foreign nationals allegedly involved in the operations.
• Some suspects have been arrested and are providing information about their alleged collaborators outside Nigeria.
• Investigators also found warehouses containing lithium batteries, telephone batteries and chargers, as well as hundreds of motorcycles suspected to have supported security arrangements at illegal mining locations.
• The EFCC has deployed personnel to provide 24-hour security and surveillance at the site while investigations continue.

Olukoyede said the operation, codenamed Operation Sovereign Wealth, was intended to recover resources allegedly exploited through the illegal activities. He also urged Nigerians to report similar operations, warning that the country bears the economic cost when its resources are illegally exploited and the proceeds taken elsewhere.

Recent cases of iIllegal mining and refining

The Ogere operation comes amid other enforcement actions against unauthorised mining and petroleum activities across the country.

In May 2025, the Federal High Court in Jos ordered the deportation of four Chinese nationals — Liang Quin Yong, Wang Huajie, Zhong Jiajing and Long Kechong — following their conviction for illegal dealings in solid minerals. The court also ordered the forfeiture of approximately N134.9 million linked to the unlawful activities to the Federal Government.

• In October 2026, the Nigerian Navy uncovered a suspected illegal refining site containing approximately 114,500 litres of petroleum products in Rivers State.
• Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information, disclosed the discovery in a statement detailing the Navy’s operations on October 15.
• The Navy also arrested 10 suspected drug offenders during a separate joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Delta State between October 14 and 15.

In another development, the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, sentenced 10 persons to prison for illegal dealings in petroleum products, including substandard Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel