The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians before the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, over their alleged involvement in the establishment and operation of a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha following investigations into the activities of an alleged drug trafficking organisation operating in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to ThelensNG on Friday, November 6, 2026.
One of the Mexican nationals, 56-year-old Jose Villa Ochoa, and four Nigerians were arrested on June 17, 2026, by NDLEA operatives in a forested area of Tapa village.
The Nigerian defendants were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
The second Mexican national, 40-year-old Carrera Loaiza Arturo, was reportedly arrested on August 19, 2026, while attempting to flee the country through the Lagos airport.
The four-count charge filed against the defendants alleged that between December 2025 and June 2026, at different locations in Lagos and Oyo States, they conspired to operate a drug trafficking organisation and established a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine, a psychotropic substance.
They were also accused of unlawfully transporting and distributing chemical substances intended for the manufacture of methamphetamine, contrary to Section 20(1)(f) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read and interpreted to them in languages they understood.
Following their pleas, Justice Maha ordered that they be remanded at the Correctional Centre in Ibadan and adjourned the case to January 26, 27, 28, and 29, 2027, for trial.
The Agency also disclosed that three other Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian collaborators arrested during an earlier operation at a forest hideout in Ogun State on May 16, 2026, had been remanded following their arraignment before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The court had rejected their bail application and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
