Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled another sophisticated methamphetamine laboratory hidden deep in the forests of Oyo State.
The operation, which took place on June 17, 2026, in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, marks the second major meth lab bust in the Southwest region in only four weeks.
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Who Did NDLEA Arrest?
NDLEA operatives raided an industrial-scale facility operated by a Nigerian-Mexican cartel. During the raid, they arrested five key suspects:
- Jose Villa Ochoa, 56, a Mexican methamphetamine expert brought in specially for his technical expertise in large-scale production.
- Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30
- Olatunji Yusuf, 37
- Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45
- Ganiu Monsiu, 43
A forensic team returned on June 18 to thoroughly examine the site. While they examined the site, they confirmed the presence of methamphetamine through field tests.
What Did They Find?
The lab was equipped for high-volume production. It had a large display of precursor chemicals, industrial equipment, and materials recovered, including the following:
- Chemicals: Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), large quantities of phenylacetic acid (in 1,800-litre drums), caustic soda (101 bags of 25 kg each), sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, thioglycolic acid, ethyl phenylacetate, etc.
- Equipment: Reactor pot, distillation units, mixers, condensers, and vegetable dehydrator machines for drying crystals.
- Other items: Drums containing crystalline substances and dark liquids in various stages of synthesis.
According to the NDLEA, the haul was worth multi-billions of naira in illicit substances and equipment, which was capable of flooding streets with millions of doses of methamphetamine.
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What NDLEA is Saying
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, issued a stern message to drug cartels in a statement released on June 24:
“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade. We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.”
He commended the professionalism of the Oyo State Command operatives and thanked the public for providing credible intelligence.
This latest success follows a similar massive meth lab dismantled in Ijebu East, Ogun State, just weeks earlier. The involvement of a Mexican specialist in the NDLEA Oyo drug lab bust points to heightening transnational cooperation among drug networks.
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