NDLEA Dismantles Meth Lab Inside Oyo State Forest, Detains Mexican Suspect, 4 Others
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has uncovered an industrial scale production of methamphetamine and other illicit substances in Oyo State.
NDLEA operatives arrested five suspects, including a Mexican man, in connection with the secret meth laboratory inside a forest at Tapa village, in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, FEMI BABAFEMI, announced the breakthrough while briefing newsmen at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, on behalf of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brigadier General MOHAMED BUBA MARWA.
FEMI BABAFEMI said the breakthrough was recorded on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, after tactical operatives of the NDLEA stormed the highly fortified, industrial-scale clandestine meth laboratory operating deep within the forest of Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State.
BABAFEMI identified the Mexican suspect as JOSE VILLA OCHOA from Mexico, described as a fifty-six-year-old Methamphetamine expert, who was hired by the syndicate specifically to provide the technical expertise for large-scale synthesis of the hard drug.
The Nigerian collaborators were listed as MAXWELL UCHE NEVOH, 30; OLATUNJI YUSUF, 37; BANKOLE AKEEM OWOLABI, 45; and GANIU MONSIU, 43.
The NDLEA spokesman said the arrest of a foreign cartel specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the transnational nature of the hard drug threat, just as it highlights the agency's world-class intelligence capability to track, intercept, and neutralize such threat.
He said following the successful raid, a specialized team from our Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring moved in on June 18th, 2026, to conduct a rigorous forensic examination of the facility. “What they uncovered is a massive, factory-level production line of poison.”
The spokesman noted that “The laboratory was fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts, and heavy-duty processing equipment. Chemicals and Materials recovered include: Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), which is the the main, highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis; 1800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid (the primary precursor used to synthesize P2P); Two 180L drums containing a staggering 300 litres of whitish crystalline substance; Four 180L drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.
“Others include: 101 bags (25kg each) of Caustic Soda; 17 containers (25L each) of Sulphuric Acid; 19.5 containers (25kg each) of Tartaric Acid; 5 containers of Reniso Ultracool 68 (three 50L and two 25L capacity; 25 bottles (500ml each) of 80% Thioglycolic Acid; 2 containers (25L each) of Ethyl Phenylacetate, and 25 cartons of aluminum foil.
“The Industrial Processing Equipment discovered at the site include: One (1) Reactor Pot, which is the heart of the chemical synthesis; Two (2) mounted distillation units and three (3) fabricated mixers and condensers; as well as Two (2) vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of the crystals.
“As a result, immediate field tests were conducted by our forensic experts. Samples of the finished crystals recovered yielded a definitive positive result for Methamphetamine. Furthermore, the crystalline substance from the 180L drum tested positive for Phenylacetic acid. Every single gram of these exhibits has been safely evacuated, documented, and preserved for comprehensive and strict evidential presentation in court. This is yet another multibillion-naira worth of illicit substances and production equipment ready to push millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, communities and the international community but for the vigilance of our dedicated officers.”
In his response, the NDLEA Chairman noted that the proximity of the latest discovery to the Ogun State lab uncovered about four weeks ago reveals a desperate attempt by drug barons to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in the Southwest axis, adding that the cartels thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law but were wrong.
“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. They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong”, the NDLEA boss warned.
“We want to commend the gallantry, dedication, and clinical professionalism of our officers of the Oyo state Command involved in this operation. To the Nigerian public, we say thank you for your continued trust and credible information. Together, we are securing the future of our nation”, he added.