Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have busted a major methamphetamine manufacturing lab hidden deep in a forest at Tapa Village in Oyo State.
The raid, conducted on June 17, 2026, led to the arrest of a Mexican national and four Nigerians working at the site. Officials say the suspects operated the facility for a Nigerian-Mexican drug trafficking syndicate.
NDLEA Chairman Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa announced the seizure at the agency's Abuja headquarters on Wednesday.
He was represented by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Among those arrested is 56-year-old Jose Villa Ochoa from Mexico, identified as a methamphetamine production expert. Four Nigerians were also taken into custody: Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
The laboratory was equipped for industrial-scale production of the dangerous synthetic drug. Forensic officers examined the facility on June 18 and found massive quantities of chemicals and processing equipment.
Items recovered included drums of phenylacetic acid and phenyl-2-propanone, along with sulphuric acid, caustic soda, and other chemical substances. Officers also seized reactor pots, distillation units, fabricated mixers, and vegetable dehydrators allegedly used in production.
Field tests on samples confirmed the presence of methamphetamine at the site. Other materials tested positive for phenylacetic acid, a key precursor chemical.
All seized materials have been documented and evacuated for court proceedings. Marwa praised the operation as a significant victory against synthetic drug manufacturing in Nigeria.
Barely four weeks earlier, NDLEA agents had dismantled a similar meth lab in Ijebu East, Ogun State. According to Marwa, the two discoveries point to a coordinated push by cartels to establish production bases in the South-West region.
The agency said it remains committed to hunting down drug syndicates both locally and internationally. Marwa commended officers from the Oyo State Command for their work on the operation.
He called on Nigerians to report suspicious activities to support the nation's drug war. The NDLEA vowed to intensify operations against illicit drug networks across the country.
