EFCC proposes licensed operators for Ogere facilities, subject to court approval
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has proposed bringing licensed businesses into industrial facilities under investigation in Ogere, Ogun State.
The proposal was reported on November 8. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the commission would first seek the necessary court orders and work with regulators to identify qualified operators.
According to Nairametrics, which cited a clip of his remarks posted by Arise News, Olukoyede said the aim was to preserve the facilities and protect Nigerian workers’ jobs. His remarks outlined a proposal, not an approved handover.
Reports published by Arise News and News Central on November 8 carried EFCC’s allegations of unlawful petroleum, lithium and wood-processing activities in Ogere. They also described a distillery and warehouses at the site.
Olukoyede said investigations were continuing. The allegations have not been established by a court. The reviewed reports did not include responses from the alleged operators.
The investigation followed an earlier operation at a suspected oil-processing facility. In an account reported on November 3, EFCC said officers entered the premises on October 31 and found it deserted.
The commission said officers found underground tanks and waste materials believed to be linked to sludge-oil processing. Two tanks contained substances suspected to be diesel, according to EFCC.
A regulatory inspection was subsequently reported on November 5. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said the facility lacked the required permit. It also said laboratory tests were needed before the recovered product could be classified as diesel.
The reviewed reports did not establish the exact date of Olukoyede’s visit. No court order approving the proposed operating arrangement, appointment of licensed businesses or completed handover was verified.
