The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a sophisticated clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Oyo State, arresting a Mexican national and four Nigerians in what it described as a major blow to a transnational drug syndicate.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), announced the operation on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja. He said operatives raided the industrial-scale lab on June 17, 2026, based on credible intelligence.
The laboratory was located deep inside a forest in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Marwa, represented by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, described it as a highly fortified and organised facility, not a rudimentary setup.
The suspects arrested are:
Jose Villa Ochoa, a 56-year-old Mexican national described as a methamphetamine expert.
Maxwell Nevoh, 30
Olatunji Yusuf, 37
Bankole Owolabi, 45
Ganiu Monsiu, 43
Marwa highlighted the international dimension of the operation, noting that the presence of a foreign specialist on Nigerian soil shows the transnational nature of the threat. He praised the agency’s intelligence capability in tracking and neutralising such networks.
Forensic experts who examined the site recovered large quantities of precursor chemicals and industrial equipment used for methamphetamine production.
Items seized include:
Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) a key controlled precursor
1,800-litre drums of phenylacetic acid
Drums containing whitish crystalline substances and dark liquids undergoing synthesis
101 bags (25kg each) of caustic soda
Sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, and other chemicals
Processing equipment such as a reactor pot, distillation units, mixers, condensers, and vegetable dehydrator machines
Field tests confirmed the presence of methamphetamine. All substances and equipment were documented and preserved for prosecution.
The NDLEA chairman described the lab as capable of producing millions of doses of synthetic drugs with a multi-billion-naira value. He noted that the discovery came barely four weeks after a similar large-scale meth lab was dismantled in Ogun State, indicating attempts by drug barons to establish a production hub in the South-West region.
Marwa warned both local and international cartels that Nigeria will not be a safe haven for drug production. He commended the officers involved and thanked the public for providing intelligence that led to the successful operation.
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