By Adebola Muili
Two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians have been remanded at the Correctional Centre in Ibadan over their alleged involvement in the establishment and operation of a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine in a forest in Oyo State.
The suspects were remanded by Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, following their arraignment by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, operation of a drug trafficking organisation and the production of psychotropic substances.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Friday, November 6, 2026.
The defendants are two Mexican nationals, Jose Villa Ochoa, 56, and Carrera Loaiza Arturo, 40, alongside four Nigerians identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
According to the agency, Ochoa and the four Nigerian suspects were arrested by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in a forested area of Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, where the clandestine laboratory was allegedly established.
The second Mexican national, Arturo, was subsequently tracked down and arrested on August 19, 2026, while allegedly 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.
The defendants were also accused of unlawfully engaging in the transportation and distribution of chemical substances intended for the manufacture of methamphetamine, contrary to Section 20(1)(f) of the NDLEA Act, punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same Act.
When the charges were read to them in a language they understood, all six defendants pleaded not guilty.
Following their pleas, Justice Maha ordered that they be remanded at the Correctional Centre in Ibadan, while the case was adjourned to January 26, 27, 28 and 29, 2027, for trial.
The Oyo operation is coming months after the NDLEA arrested three other Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian collaborators over the alleged establishment and operation of a similar clandestine drug laboratory in a forest hideout in Ogun State.
The ten suspects were arrested during an operation on Saturday, May 16, 2026, and have also been remanded following their arraignment before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The trial judge had rejected their bail application and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
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