The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it will seek court approval to bring licensed operators into industrial facilities uncovered during a raid on suspected illegal petroleum refining and solid mineral processing activities in Ogere, Ogun State.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the scene of the operation in a video posted on Arise News’ X page on Saturday.
He said the commission plans to collaborate with relevant regulatory agencies to identify qualified professionals and legitimate businesses capable of operating the facilities, instead of demolishing the infrastructure or allowing workers to lose their jobs.
Olukoyede said the proposed arrangement would be subject to obtaining the necessary court orders. However, the commission has yet to name any prospective operators or confirm that the facilities have been transferred to other businesses.
He said the commission would work with relevant regulatory agencies to identify qualified professionals and licensed businesses to manage the industrial facilities, with a view to preserving the assets and putting them to legitimate economic use.
“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,” her said.
He said the commission would adhere to due legal process and avoid demolishing the facilities, noting that preserving productive assets was part of its strategy for combating economic and financial 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 noted.
He added that the proposed arrangement was aimed at protecting Nigerians employed at the facilities while ensuring that future operations were handled by qualified and properly licensed businesses.
The proposal follows the discovery of what Olukoyede described as a large-scale industrial operation in Ogere, involving facilities allegedly engaged in illegal petroleum refining, the processing of high-value solid minerals, including lithium, and wood processing for export.
The EFCC chairman said the site housed several facilities equipped with heavy machinery and independent power generation systems to support their operations.
The commission said its investigation focuses on suspected money laundering, economic sabotage and illegal mining, including the activities of foreign nationals allegedly linked to the operations.
It added that some suspects had been arrested and were assisting investigators with information about their alleged collaborators outside Nigeria.
The EFCC also uncovered warehouses stocked with lithium batteries, telephone batteries and chargers, alongside hundreds of motorcycles suspected to have been used to provide security at illegal mining sites.
