• Opposes bail for 3 Mexicans, 7 Nigerians, court to rule Sept 2 over N480bn Ogun Meth lab
Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Wale Igbintade in Lagos
The discovery of a precursor chemical linked to fentanyl production in a clandestine drug laboratory deep inside a forest in Ogun State has exposed a potentially dangerous new dimension to Nigeria’s illicit drug trade.
Against the background of that detection, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) warned about the critical need for advanced forensic technology to stay ahead of emerging narcotics threats.
Meanwhile, NDLEA opposed the bail applications filed by 10 defendants standing trial over alleged operation of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a forest in Ogun State, describing them as flight risks who can evade trial if released.
Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos, after hearing arguments from both sides, adjourned until September 2, 2026 for ruling on the defendants’ bail applications.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd.), disclosed the discovery of the secret drug scheme on Thursday in Abuja while receiving Country Director of United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau (INL) in Nigeria, Mr. Derek Tolliver.
Tolliver had led a delegation from the US Government Accountability Office to the agency’s headquarters.
Marwa revealed that forensic equipment provided through the US-Nigeria law enforcement partnership enabled NDLEA officers to identify one of the precursor chemicals recovered from the illicit methamphetamine laboratory as a substance associated with fentanyl production.
He described the discovery as particularly disturbing, stressing that the substance constitutes only a small part of the chemicals recovered from the clandestine laboratory and could have escaped detection without modern forensic tools.
“We discovered one of the precursor chemicals was in fact for the production of fentanyl, which is bad news. Nobody wants to hear that word,” Marwa said.
The revelation raises fresh concerns over the possible emergence of fentanyl-related production activities within Nigeria’s expanding illicit drug market, coming amid heightened international concern over the deadly synthetic opioid and the devastating public health consequences associated with its misuse.
Marwa said the incident demonstrated that the fight against drug trafficking and clandestine drug production could no longer depend solely on conventional enforcement methods.
According to him, the US-supported forensic infrastructure has become central to the agency’s ability to identify dangerous substances, trace drug production processes, and dismantle sophisticated criminal operations.
“Without these modern tools, that would have gone unnoticed because it was just a small part of the precursor chemicals. That was really very important,” he said.
The NDLEA chief specifically credited INL with playing a significant role in the transformation of the agency’s operational and forensic capabilities.
He recalled that when he assumed office in 2021, the agency had only one forensic laboratory in Lagos serving the entire country.
With US support, the Lagos facility was modernised with new equipment and improved infrastructure, while additional forensic laboratories were established in Abuja and Enugu to expand the agency’s capacity across the country.
Marwa also recalled that INL-provided operational vehicles were among the earliest resources distributed to NDLEA commands after he assumed leadership of the agency.
He said, “Whatever successes that we have had in this agency, the INL is part of it. No question about it.”
Tolliver, who recently assumed office as INL Country Director in Nigeria, praised NDLEA for the remarkable operational achievements under Marwa’s leadership.
He said the purpose of his visit was to establish a working relationship with NDLEA and build on previous INL programmes supporting Nigeria’s counter-narcotics efforts.
Tolliver stated, “I want to say big congratulations on all the successes over the past months with your leadership and under your leadership. It is phenomenal how much this organisation has grown, the accolades that are now shown in the media. I do want to recognise that.”
He assured NDLEA of his commitment to working with the agency and his team at the US Embassy in Abuja to advance shared programme objectives.
While expressing appreciation for the assistance already provided by the United States, Marwa called for expanded support in logistics, training, and other operational areas.
He acknowledged the contributions of other US agencies, including Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), US Africa Command (AFRICOM), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to the NDLEA’s counter-narcotics efforts.
The chairman’s call comes as NDLEA continues to intensify its campaign against illicit drug trafficking, clandestine laboratories, and the diversion of pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals for illegal drug production.
The Ogun Forest laboratory discovery, according to Marwa, demonstrates why investment in forensic science, specialised training and modern operational equipment remain essential to preventing Nigeria from becoming a major production or transit hub for increasingly dangerous synthetic drugs.
The meeting between NDLEA and the US delegation provided a fresh opportunity to deepen Nigeria-US cooperation at a time when drug trafficking networks were becoming more sophisticated and the threat from synthetic narcotics was evolving rapidly.
For NDLEA, the message from the Ogun forest is clear: the country’s drug war is entering a more technologically demanding phase, and the ability to detect what criminals are producing may be just as important as the ability to seize what they are trafficking.
The 10 defendants standing trial over the alleged operation of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a forest in Ogun State are Anochili Innocent, Juan Carlos Meza Torrero, Nemecio Martinez Felix, Jesus Lopez Valles, Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, Omonughwa Kingsley Orike, and Emeka Nwobum.
They are being prosecuted by NDLEA over their alleged involvement in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine at a clandestine laboratory located at Iloti Village, in the Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The prosecution had earlier filed an 11-count charge against the defendants in suit No. FHC/CR/430/2026 before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The charge centres on the alleged production and possession of 2,419.48 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, a controlled psychotropic substance, as well as the alleged acquisition, transportation and possession of precursor chemicals used in the production of the illicit drug.
At the resumed proceedings on the bail application, counsel to the defendants, Chief Benson Ndakara, told Justice Aluko that he had approached the vacation court because of the urgency of the application, stressing that the matter concerns the liberty and fundamental rights of the defendants, who are currently being held in custody.
Ndakara said the prosecution had been served with the bail application and had filed its response.
In the affidavit supporting the application, the defendants argued that their continued detention was unjustified, particularly in the case of the first defendant, who they said was not found in possession of any hard drug.
They also maintained that they were presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
The defendants further argued that the alleged offences were bailable and expressed their readiness to provide reliable sureties and comply with any conditions that might be imposed by the court.
They also raised concerns about the health of some of the defendants, claiming that their conditions require special medical attention that warrant their release on bail.
Opposing the application, NDLEA counsel, Barrister Buhari Abdullahi, urged Aluko to reject the request, arguing that there was no exceptional urgency warranting the defendants’ resort to the vacation court.
Abdullahi said the substantive criminal proceedings were already before Justice Musa Kakaki, where the defendants had been arraigned, pleas taken, and an order made for an accelerated trial.
He further informed the court that the prosecution had already called its first witness, who had testified in the case.
The NDLEA lawyer, relying on the agency’s counter-affidavit, argued that the defendants constituted flight risks and granting them bail could frustrate the trial.
According to him, some of the defendants are foreign nationals and could leave Nigeria if released.
Abdullahi told the court that three of the defendants were Mexican nationals, while the first defendant, whom the prosecution described as the alleged financier and organiser of the syndicate, held dual Nigerian and Mexican citizenship.
He argued that the international composition of the defendants heightened the risk of them fleeing the country to avoid prosecution.
On the health concerns raised by the defendants, the NDLEA counsel said the applicants had not established that their medical conditions were so serious that they could not be managed by the medical facilities available at the correctional centre.
He urged the court to disregard the health argument as a basis for granting bail.
The prosecutor also challenged the defendants’ claim that they intended to use the property where the clandestine laboratory was discovered for legitimate businesses, including poultry farming, piggery and alcoholic wine production.
Abdullahi said investigation by the agency established that the clandestine laboratory at Iloti Village was owned, financed, and sponsored by the first defendant and had been specifically established and equipped for the illicit production of methamphetamine.
He said various equipment, apparatus, chemicals, and materials allegedly associated with the production of controlled substances were recovered from the facility.
Among the substances allegedly recovered, he said, was Phenyl-2-Propanone (P2P), described by the prosecution as a major precursor agent for the production of methamphetamine.
The prosecution said it would rely on physical, documentary, forensic and laboratory evidence during the trial to establish its allegations against the defendants.
Earlier, in the substantive charge, NDLEA alleged that the defendants were members of an organised network involved in the illicit production and trafficking of methamphetamine, as well as the acquisition and transportation of precursor chemicals required for its manufacture.
The prosecution said the 10 defendants comprised three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians, describing the composition of the group as evidence of the alleged international and transnational character of the criminal enterprise.
NDLEA also alleged that precursor chemicals, including toluene, P2P, phenylacetic acid, acetone, and hydrochloric acid were transported from Lagos to the forest laboratory in Ogun State.
The chemicals were allegedly conveyed using a Toyota Tacoma, a Mercedes-Benz with registration number APP 942 YL, and a Toyota Highlander with registration number GWA 662 DJ.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants unlawfully possessed substantial quantities of precursor chemicals intended for the manufacture of methamphetamine, including 358 kilogrammes of toluene, 1,834 kilogrammes of hydrochloric acid and 22.5 kilogrammes of acetone, alongside unspecified quantities of P2P and phenylacetic acid.
The first defendant, Anochili, was also accused of owning and operating the fenced property in Mowe Forest where the clandestine laboratory was allegedly located.
NDLEA alleged that he knew the property was being used for the illegal production of methamphetamine.
The charges were brought under Sections 11(a), 12, 14(b), 19, 20(1)(e) and 20(1)(g) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, with the offences punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the Act.
The defendants denied the allegations and were presumed innocent until proven guilty.
After listening to the arguments of counsel, Aluko adjourned ruling on the bail applications until September 2.