The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians before the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, over their alleged involvement in the establishment and operation of an illegal methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, drug trafficking and the establishment of a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday, November 6, 2026, in Abuja.
One of the Mexican nationals, 56-year-old Jose Villa Ochoa, and four Nigerian collaborators, identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43, were arrested by NDLEA operatives on June 17, 2026, in a forested area of Tapa village.
The second Mexican national, 40-year-old Carrera Loaiza Arturo, was subsequently arrested on August 19, 2026, while allegedly attempting to flee the country through the Lagos airport.
According to the charge filed by the agency, the defendants allegedly conspired between December 2025 and June 2026, at various locations in Lagos and Oyo states, to operate a drug trafficking organisation and establish a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine, a psychotropic substance.
They were also accused of unlawfully transporting and distributing chemical substances intended for the manufacture of methamphetamine, contrary to Section 20(1)(f) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read and interpreted to them in languages they understood.
Following their pleas, Justice Maha ordered their remand at the Correctional Centre in Ibadan and adjourned the case to January 26, 27, 28 and 29, 2027, for trial.
Meanwhile, three other Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian collaborators arrested over a similar offence at a forest hideout in Ogun State on May 16, 2026, have also been remanded in custody following their arraignment before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The court had rejected their bail application and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
