Court remands two Mexicans, four others over Oyo meth lab

A Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered the remand of two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians over their alleged involvement in the establishment and operation of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.

The defendants were arraigned before Justice Nkeonye Maha on a four-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, according to a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Friday.

The Mexican defendants are Jose Ochoa (56) and Carrera Arturo (40), alongside four Nigerians identified as Maxwell Nevoh (30), Olatunji Yusuf (37), Bankole Owolabi (45), and Ganiu Monsiu (43).

According to the agency, Ochoa and the four Nigerians were arrested on June 17, 2026, by NDLEA operatives in a forested area of Tapa village.

Arturo was subsequently tracked and arrested on August 19, 2026, while allegedly attempting to flee the country through the Lagos airport.

“The defendants were arrested in connection with the establishment and operation of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State,” the NDLEA said.

The four-count charge accused the defendants of conspiring to operate a drug trafficking organisation and establishing a clandestine laboratory for the production of methamphetamine between December 2025 and June 2026 at various locations in Lagos and Oyo states.

They were also accused of unlawfully transporting and distributing chemical substances for the manufacture of the psychotropic substance, 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 when they were read to them in a language they understood.

Following their pleas, Justice Maha ordered that they be remanded at the Correctional Centre in Ibadan.

The court adjourned the case until January 26, 27, 28, and 29, 2027, for trial.

Meanwhile, three other Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian collaborators arrested over an alleged methamphetamine laboratory in a forest hideout in Ogun State on May 16, 2026, have also been remanded following their arraignment before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The NDLEA said the court rejected their bail application and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.