The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has charged six people—two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians—with operating an illegal methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North, Oyo State, between December 2025 and June 2026. The suspects were arrested in 2026, pleaded not guilty, and were remanded to Ibadan Correctional Centre, with trial dates set for late January 2027.
What charges were filed?
The defendants face a four‑count indictment that includes conspiracy to run a drug‑trafficking organisation, illegal production of methamphetamine, and unlawful transport of chemicals used in the manufacture of the drug. The charges are based on Sections 20(1)(f) and 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act.
Who are the accused and when were they caught?
The six are Jose Villa Ochoa (56, Mexican), Carrera Loaiza Arturo (40, Mexican), Maxwell Uche Nevoh (30), Olatunji Yusuf (37), Bankole Akeem Owolabi (45), and Ganiu Monsiu (43), all Nigerian. NDLEA operatives apprehended Ochoa and the four Nigerians on 17 June 2026 in a forest near Tapa village, while Arturo was detained on 19 August 2026 at Lagos airport while allegedly trying to flee the country.
What did the court decide?
All six entered a plea of not guilty after the charges were read. Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court, Ibadan ordered their remand to the Ibadan Correctional Centre. The trial was adjourned to 26, 27, 28 and 29 January 2027.
Related operation in Ogun State
The NDLEA spokesman also revealed that three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians arrested on 16 May 2026 for a similar alleged lab in a forest hideout in Ogun State have been remanded after a Lagos Federal High Court rejected their bail application and set an accelerated hearing.
Quote from the agency
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, disclosed the arrests and charges in a statement issued on Friday, confirming the agency’s ongoing crackdown on transnational drug operations.
The case underscores the NDLEA’s efforts to disrupt sophisticated methamphetamine networks operating across Nigeria’s southwestern region.