By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Barely four weeks after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled a massive clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a forest in Ijebu East, Ogun State, operatives have struck again, uncovering another industrial-scale meth laboratory in Tapa Village forest, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Persecondnews correspondent reports that the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa disclosed this at a media briefing at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, through the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to him, the operation, which was carried out on the 17th of June by NDLEA tactical operatives, led to the arrest of five key members of the Nigerian-Mexican cartel at the highly fortified clandestine laboratory.
Marwa said the latest discovery, coming close to the Ogun laboratory uncovered weeks earlier, signals a desperate attempt by drug barons to turn the Southwest axis into a major hub for synthetic drug manufacturing.
“This was not a basic setup; it was a sophisticated, highly organized transnational syndicate revealing the level of planning, coordination and criminal investment behind this illegal methamphetamine production operation.”
During the raid, a 56-year-old Mexican methamphetamine expert, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was brought in specifically to provide technical expertise for large-scale synthesis, was arrested.
The four Nigerian collaborators, Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30, Olatunji Yusuf, 37, Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45, and Ganiu Monsiu, 43, provided logistical support, cover and local operations.
“The arrest of a foreign cartel specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the transnational nature of this threat and further demonstrates our Agency’s world-class intelligence capability to track, intercept and neutralize criminal networks,” he said.
Following the successful raid, a specialized team from the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring moved into the facility on June 18, 2026, to conduct a rigorous forensic examination.
“Following the forensic examination, what our experts uncovered was a massive, factory-level production line of poison, fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts and heavy-duty processing equipment.”
“Recovered chemicals include Phenyl-2-propanone, the highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis, and 1,800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid, the primary precursor used to synthesize P2P.”
According to the agency, other exhibits include two 180-litre drums containing 300 litres of whitish crystalline substance and four 180-litre drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.
Operatives also recovered 101 bags of 25kg caustic soda, 17 containers of 25 litres of sulphuric acid, and 19.5 containers of 25kg tartaric acid.
Other substances recovered include three 50-litre and two 25-litre containers of Reniso Ultracool 68, 25 bottles of 500ml 80 per cent Thioglycolic Acid, two 25-litre containers of Ethyl Phenylacetate, and 25 cartons of aluminium foil.
Industrial processing equipment recovered includes one reactor pot, the heart of the chemical synthesis, two mounted distillation units, three fabricated mixers and condensers, as well as two vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of crystals.
“Every single gram of these exhibits has been safely evacuated, properly documented and preserved for comprehensive and strict evidential presentation in court as we continue the process of ensuring justice is served.”
The NDLEA further revealed that field tests conducted by forensic experts confirmed the finished crystals tested positive for methamphetamine, while the crystalline substance from the 180-litre drum tested positive for Phenylacetic acid.
“This is yet another multibillion-naira worth of illicit substances and production equipment that could have pushed millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, communities and beyond.”
Marwa said the proximity of the Oyo discovery to the Ogun laboratory, uncovered four weeks earlier, revealed a desperate attempt by drug barons to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in the Southwest.
“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, both domestic and international, that Nigeria is not and will never be a safe haven for your illicit trade and criminal operations, ” he warned.
“They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death because no hiding place will protect those engaged in drug trafficking”.
The NDLEA boss commended officers of the Oyo State Command for their gallantry, dedication and clinical professionalism and thanked Nigerians for their continued trust and credible information in the fight against drug trafficking.
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