Two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians have been remanded in custody in Nigeria over their alleged involvement in establishing and operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in the country’s southwest.
The six defendants were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on four counts of conspiracy and illegal drug production. They all pleaded not guilty.
The defendants are Mexican nationals Jose Villa Ochoa, 56, and Carrera Loaiza Arturo, 40, alongside Nigerians Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
According to the NDLEA, five of the defendants were arrested on June 17 in a forest in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Arturo was arrested on August 19 at Lagos airport while allegedly attempting to leave the country.
The agency accused the six of conspiring to establish a drug trafficking network and operate an illicit methamphetamine laboratory between December 2025 and June 2026, using locations in Lagos and Oyo states. They were also charged with unlawfully transporting and distributing chemicals intended for the manufacture of the drug.
Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha ordered their remand at a correctional facility in Ibadan, with trial scheduled for January 26 to 29, 2027.
In a separate case, three other Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians arrested over an alleged methamphetamine laboratory in a forest hideout in neighbouring Ogun State were also remanded. A Federal High Court in Lagos rejected their bail application and ordered an accelerated hearing.
