Special Reports
Court remands two Mexicans and 4 Nigerians over Oyo forest meth lab
Crime
The Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has remanded two Mexican nationals and 4 Nigerians over their alleged involvement in a methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area.
The defendants are Jose Villa Ochoa and Carrera Loaiza Arturo, each Mexicans, alongside Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu.
In a press release on Friday, November 6, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi mentioned the six have been arraigned on 4 counts regarding the alleged illegal transportation and distribution of chemical compounds meant for methamphetamine manufacturing. All six pleaded not responsible.
Following their pleas, Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha ordered their remand at a correctional centre in Ibadan. According to the NDLEA, Ochoa and the 4 Nigerian defendants have been arrested on June 17, 2026. Arturo was arrested on August 19 on the Lagos airport whereas allegedly trying to depart the nation.
Babafemi had beforehand alleged that Ochoa was introduced into Nigeria to offer technical experience for large-scale methamphetamine manufacturing, whereas the Nigerian defendants managed logistics and native operations. In a separate operation in September, the NDLEA reported discovering an “industrial-scale” methamphetamine laboratory in Ebonyi State.
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