10 Suspects, Including 3 Mexicans, Remanded Over N480bn Meth Lab in Ogun and Lagos
By Victor Idajili
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered the remand of 10 suspects arrested over what the NDLEA described as a massive clandestine methamphetamine operation worth over N480 billion.
The defendants, led by alleged drug kingpin Anochili Innocent, 63, were arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki on 11 counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful production and possession of methamphetamine, running a drug trafficking organisation, and possession of precursor chemicals.
Three of them are Mexican nationals named as Juan Carlos Meza Torrero, 49; Nemecio Martinez Felix, 46; and Jesus López Valles, 40. The NDLEA described them as methamphetamine experts.
The other seven Nigerians are: Nwankwo Sunday Christian, 41; Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, 38; Igwe Abuchi Remijus, 43; Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, 23; Omonughwa Kingsley Orike, 45; Nwobum Emeka, 59; and Anochili Innocent, 63.
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the arrests followed coordinated raids between May 16 and May 18, 2026 in Ogun and Lagos states.
Operatives first stormed a super-clandestine laboratory hidden in a forest in Mowe village, Ijebu East LGA, Ogun State. Seven suspects, including the three Mexicans, were arrested there.
At the same time, Innocent, alleged to be the mastermind, was picked up at his home in Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos.
Follow-up raids led to the arrest of Orike at another Lakowe property linked to the kingpin, and Nwobum at a house allegedly used as the syndicate’s stash house.
Prosecutors alleged that between February and May 16, 2026, the group conspired to set up and run the illegal lab. They are also accused of financing and managing a drug trafficking network and moving precursor chemicals — toluene, phenyl-2-propane, phenyl acetic acid, acetone and hydrochloric acid— from Lagos to Ogun.
The NDLEA said 2,419.48kg of methamphetamine was produced and seized, with an estimated street value of over N480bn in the international illicit market.
Chemicals recovered from the lab include 358kg of toluene, 1,834kg of hydrochloric acid, and 22.5kg of acetone, plus quantities of phenyl-2-propane and phenyl acetic acid.
Innocent faces an additional charge for allegedly allowing his property to be used for drug production.
The prosecution said it had served the defence with proof of evidence on July 3 and presented seven witnesses to open the trial. The defence asked for more time to prepare.
Justice Kakaki ordered all 10 to be remanded at the Lagos Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to July 16 and July 22, 2026 for trial and to hear their bail applications.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), called it one of the agency’s biggest busts of an industrial-scale drug operation in Nigeria.
“The presence of Mexican nationals among those arrested and arraigned today speaks to the alarming reach of international drug cartels now attempting to entrench themselves in Nigeria,” Marwa said. “But the Agency will not relent in tracking down and dismantling every such network, no matter how well concealed or well-financed.”
He added that the case shows how transnational trafficking networks are trying to use Nigeria as a manufacturing base for export, and urged the public to keep providing credible intelligence.
