EFCC Arrests Three Chinese Nationals Over Expired Immigration Stamps Near Illegal Refinery in Ogun

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three Chinese nationals found living opposite an alleged illegal refinery in Ogere-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, over questions surrounding their immigration status.

The foreigners were arrested on Wednesday during a joint enforcement operation involving the EFCC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) at the refinery site.

The arrests followed the discovery of an extensive underground storage facility at the location, which had earlier been sealed by NMDPRA officials. The facility reportedly contained underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil, refining waste and substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.

The underground storage system, located behind the site, was estimated to have a capacity of more than 90,000 litres. It reportedly included underground heating systems, water hydrants for cooling, locally fabricated tanks and silos used for separating substances.

The three Chinese nationals were discovered living in a heavily secured building directly opposite the facility, which reportedly occupies more than three hectares of land.

When questioned about their immigration documents, the foreigners reportedly presented Chinese passports bearing Nigerian Immigration Service entry stamps but could not produce visible residence permits, work permits or Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) documents.

The passports reportedly showed that the individuals entered Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on May 9, 2026, with a handwritten permission to stay for 30 days. Based on that entry period, their visitor status would have expired on June 8, 2026.

By November 4, 2026, they had allegedly remained in the country for nearly five months beyond the permitted period.

An EFCC official involved in the operation questioned how the foreigners obtained entry stamps without visas and continued residing in Nigeria after their permitted stay had expired.

The suspects were subsequently taken into EFCC custody for further investigation.

The development has raised questions about immigration enforcement and the activities taking place around the Ogere-Remo corridor, where authorities have recently uncovered other alleged illegal industrial operations.

Barely two weeks earlier, the EFCC reportedly arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian at four suspected illegal lithium processing plants in the Ogere area.

Items recovered during that operation included bags of lithium rocks, 18 mobile devices, four laptops, two decoders, a television remote control and a trailer truck.

The latest arrests are part of the authorities’ ongoing enforcement activities against suspected illegal industrial operations in the area. However, the circumstances surrounding the three foreigners’ immigration status and any possible connection to the refinery remain subject to investigation.