A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday arraigned ten suspects, including three Mexican nationals, over the alleged operation of a methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in Ogun State.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dragged the suspects before Justice Musa Kakaki on an 11-count charge tied to the illegal facility uncovered at Mowe village in Ijebu East Local Government Area.
Prosecutors say the group produced 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine worth more than N480 billion on the international market.
The defendants are Anochili Innocent, described by the NDLEA as the ring leader; Mexican nationals Juan Carlos Meza Torrero, Nemecio Martinez Felix and Jesus López Valles; and six Nigerians — Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, Omonughwa Kingsley Orike and Nwobum Emeka.
NDLEA operatives raided the Mowe forest laboratory on May 16, arresting seven suspects on the spot, including the three Mexicans, whom the agency says brought technical expertise in meth production. Anochili fell the same day at his home in Lakowe, Lekki.
Two days later, operatives moved on a second Anochili property at Mayfair Estate in Lakowe and picked up Omonughwa Kingsley Orike. They then traced a storage location linked to the network to a house belonging to Emeka Nwobum.
According to court filings, the suspects ran the illegal lab between February and May 16, ferrying precursor chemicals — toluene, phenyl-2-propane, phenyl acetic acid, acetone and hydrochloric acid — from Lagos to Ogun in different vehicles.
Investigators recovered 358 kilograms of toluene, 1,834 kilograms of hydrochloric acid, 22.5 kilograms of acetone and more quantities of the other precursor chemicals from the site.
The NDLEA slapped Anochili with a separate charge for allegedly allowing his land to host the lab.
All ten pleaded not guilty. The defence confirmed receiving case documents on July 3, and the prosecution lined up seven witnesses to open the trial, but defence lawyers asked for more time.
Justice Kakaki ordered the defendants remanded at the Lagos Correctional Centre and fixed July 16 and July 22 for trial continuation and bail hearings.
NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) said the arrests point to growing infiltration by international drug cartels using Nigeria as a production and export base. He vowed the agency would keep dismantling trafficking networks regardless of size or financial muscle, and urged Nigerians to keep feeding security agencies useful intelligence.
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