The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned an alleged drug kingpin, 63-year-old Anochili Innocent, alongside three Mexican nationals and six other Nigerians before the Federal High Court in Lagos over the alleged operation of a large-scale methamphetamine laboratory concealed in a forest in Ogun State.
The suspects were brought before Justice Musa Kakaki on Friday on an 11-count charge bordering on the establishment and operation of an illegal methamphetamine production facility located in Mowe village, Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to the NDLEA, the defendants allegedly produced 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated international street value exceeding ₦480 billion.
The accused persons are Anochili Innocent, Juan Carlos Meza Torrero, Nemecio Martinez Felix, Jesus López Valles, Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, Omonughwa Kingsley Orike and Nwobum Emeka.
The agency said the arrests followed coordinated operations carried out in Ogun and Lagos states between May 16 and May 18, 2026.
According to investigators, seven suspects, including the three Mexican nationals believed to possess expertise in methamphetamine production, were arrested inside the hidden laboratory located deep within the Mowe forest on May 16.
NDLEA further disclosed that Anochili, identified as the alleged leader of the syndicate, was arrested the same day at his residence in the Lakowe area of Lekki, Lagos.
Additional arrests were made on May 18 after operatives searched another property allegedly linked to Anochili at Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, where Kingsley Orike Omonughwa was taken into custody. Officers also raided another property belonging to Emeka Nwobum, which investigators alleged served as a storage facility for the drug operation.
Court documents alleged that the suspects conspired between February and May 16, 2026, to establish and operate the illegal methamphetamine laboratory in violation of the NDLEA Act. The prosecution also accused them of managing and financing an organised drug trafficking network.
The defendants were further alleged to have transported chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine—including toluene, phenyl-2-propane (P2P), phenyl acetic acid, acetone and hydrochloric acid—from Lagos to the Ogun laboratory using different vehicles.
The charges also relate to the unlawful production and possession of the 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine allegedly recovered during the operation.
Investigators told the court that operatives recovered large quantities of precursor chemicals, including 358 kilograms of toluene, 1,834 kilograms of hydrochloric acid, 22.5 kilograms of acetone, as well as significant quantities of phenyl-2-propane and phenyl acetic acid.
A separate charge was filed against Anochili, alleging that he knowingly permitted his land to be used for the illegal manufacture of narcotic drugs.
All ten defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Although the prosecution informed the court that the defence had been served with the case documents on July 3 and was prepared to commence trial with seven witnesses, defence counsel requested additional time to prepare.
Justice Kakaki subsequently ordered that all the defendants be remanded at the Lagos Correctional Centre pending further proceedings. The matter was adjourned to July 16 and July 22, 2026, for the continuation of trial and hearing of the defendants’ bail applications.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the case as evidence of the increasing involvement of international drug trafficking syndicates in Nigeria.
Marwa said the arrest of the three Mexican nationals underscored attempts by foreign criminal networks to use Nigeria as a base for the production and export of illicit drugs.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to identifying and dismantling drug trafficking organisations operating across the country, irrespective of their influence or financial strength.
The NDLEA boss also appealed to Nigerians to continue providing credible information that would assist security agencies in uncovering illegal drug operations and bringing those responsible to justice.
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