Court Remands Mexicans, Four Nigerians Over Oyo Forest Meth Lab

​The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered the remand of two Mexican nationals and four Nigerian accomplices at a correctional facility following their arraignment by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

​The high-profile case, presided over by Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha, centers on the illicit establishment and operation of a sophisticated, clandestine methamphetamine laboratory tucked deep within a forest in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area.

​The Defendants and Arrest Timeline

​The suspects facing prosecution include:

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• ​Jose Villa Ochoa, 56 (Mexican national)

• ​Carrera Loaiza Arturo, 40 (Mexican national)

• ​Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30 (Nigerian collaborator)

• ​Olatunji Yusuf, 37 (Nigerian collaborator)

• ​Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45 (Nigerian collaborator)

• ​Ganiu Monsiu, 43 (Nigerian collaborator)

​According to court filings presented by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, operatives swooped on the clandestine facility on June 17, 2026, arresting Ochoa and the four Nigerian suspects on-site. Meanwhile, the second Mexican national, Arturo, managed to evade immediate capture but was tracked down months later on August 19, 2026, while attempting to flee the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

​Charges and Legal Proceedings

​The four-count charge details a transnational criminal conspiracy spanning from December 2025 to June 2026 across various locations in Lagos and Oyo states. Prosecutors state that the syndicate engaged in establishing the clandestine laboratory to manufacture methamphetamine—a potent psychotropic substance—as well as transporting and distributing precursor chemicals in clear violation of Section 20(1)(f), punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act.

​When the charges were interpreted to them in a language they understood, all six defendants entered a plea of “not guilty”. Justice Maha subsequently ruled that they be remanded in custody at the Ibadan Correctional Centre. The trial has been scheduled for accelerated hearings on January 26, 27, 28, and 29, 2027.

​Broader Crackdown on Transnational Drug Cartels

​This legal development follows a string of aggressive operations by anti-narcotics operatives targeting foreign-backed drug cartels operating clandestine facilities in remote Nigerian forests. In an earlier raid on May 16, 2026, NDLEA operatives busted a separate forest hideout in Ogun State, apprehending three additional Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian accomplices. Those suspects were similarly arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos, where the presiding judge rejected their bail applications in favor of an accelerated trial schedule.

​For a visual breakdown of the initial raid and enforcement actions that led to these arrests, you can watch this NDLEA Oyo Meth Lab Raid Report.