The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered what it described as the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever detected in Nigeria, arresting three Mexican nationals alongside several Nigerian collaborators.
The operation, carried out by the agency’s Special Operations Unit, targeted a forest hideout in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, as well as multiple properties linked to the syndicate in Lagos State.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the breakthrough followed months of intelligence gathering and coordinated surveillance.
According to him, operatives conducted simultaneous raids between May 16 and May 18 in both Ogun and Lagos states.
“Through a clinical, simultaneous operation executed by the elite operatives of our Special Operations Unit, we have successfully dismantled a sophisticated, transnational methamphetamine production syndicate run jointly by a Nigerian drug cartel and their Mexican counterparts,” Marwa stated.
The agency disclosed that seven suspects were initially arrested at the forest laboratory, including three Mexican nationals allegedly brought into the country to produce methamphetamine.
Those arrested include Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, alongside the foreign suspects identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto, Jesus López Valles, and Torrero Juan Carlos.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives raided a residence at No. 8 Tafawa Balewa Street, Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, where the alleged cartel leader, Anochili Innocent, was apprehended. His international passports and mobile phones, along with those of the Mexican suspects, were recovered at the location.
Further investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, Kingsley Orike Omonughwa, at Mayfair Estate, Lekki, while another property linked to Emeka Nwobum was identified as a stash house for the group.
Marwa said the operation resulted in the seizure of 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine and related chemical substances valued at over ₦480 billion.
He added that the confiscated items included toxic precursor chemicals, industrial solvents, and crystallised methamphetamine, with an estimated international street value exceeding $362.9 million.
“The operation yielded a massive 2,419.48 kilograms of chemical materials, including highly toxic, volatile, and crystallised methamphetamine worth $362,922,000 in the international market,” he said.
The agency also recovered a Toyota Tacoma used at the forest laboratory and a Toyota Highlander linked to the cartel leader.
Marwa noted that the latest crackdown, coming shortly after the dismantling of another international drug network linked to Simon Amadi, sends a clear warning to traffickers operating within Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a hostile territory for their business,” he warned, adding that no hiding place would shield drug syndicates from law enforcement.
He urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, particularly unusual chemical odours or movements in rural communities, revealing that the Ogun laboratory was disguised as a farm.
“This war is for the soul of our nation, and we will not back down until we achieve a drug-free Nigeria,” Marwa added.
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