The Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered the remand of two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians over their alleged involvement in the operation of a methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The defendants were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the alleged unlawful transportation and distribution of chemical substances for the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The two Mexican nationals were identified as Jose Villa Ochoa and Carrera Loaiza Arturo, while the Nigerian defendants were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu.
According to the NDLEA, Ochoa and the four Nigerian suspects were arrested on June 17, 2026, while Arturo was arrested on August 19, 2026, as he attempted to leave the country through the Lagos airport.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Ochoa was brought into Nigeria to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine, while the Nigerian suspects allegedly handled logistics and local operations.
The charge accused the defendants of conspiring between December 2025 and June 2026, at different locations in Lagos and Oyo states, to establish a drug trafficking organisation and operate an illegal laboratory for the production of methamphetamine.
They were also accused of unlawfully transporting and distributing chemical substances intended for the manufacture of the drug.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, the presiding judge, Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha, ordered that they be remanded at the Ibadan Correctional Centre.
The court adjourned the matter until January 26, 27, 28 and 29, 2027, for trial.
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