The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA has announced the dismantling of what it described as the largest clandestine methamphetamine production facility ever uncovered in Nigeria, following a major operation in Ogun State that led to the arrest of suspected drug cartel members, including three Mexican nationals allegedly brought into the country to manufacture illicit drugs.
The agency disclosed that the operation resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine and chemical substances valued at over N480 billion in the international illicit drug market.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, revealed details of the operation during a media briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Marwa, the illicit drug laboratory was allegedly operated by a transnational drug syndicate identified as the Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organisation.
He explained that the sophisticated methamphetamine production facility was discovered deep inside a forest in the Ijebu Ode axis of Ogun State following months of intelligence gathering and surveillance by operatives of the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit.
Marwa described the operation as one of the most significant breakthroughs in Nigeria’s fight against organised drug trafficking and illicit drug manufacturing.
The NDLEA boss stated that the operation was executed simultaneously across Ogun and Lagos states within 48 hours last week, leading to multiple arrests and the destruction of the clandestine laboratory.
“Through a clinical, simultaneous operation executed by the elite operatives of our Special Operations Unit, we have successfully dismantled a sophisticated, transnational methamphetamine production syndicate run jointly by a Nigerian drug cartel and their Mexican counterparts,” Marwa said.
“This network did not just traffic drugs; they were actively manufacturing industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal illicit substances right on our soil, threatening the national security and public health of Nigeria,” he added.
According to the NDLEA chairman, the operation commenced on Saturday, May 16, 2026, when tactical teams launched coordinated raids targeting locations linked to the syndicate in both Ogun and Lagos states.
He explained that the main target of the operation was a remote facility located inside the Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, where the syndicate allegedly established a large-scale methamphetamine production laboratory.
Marwa said NDLEA operatives stormed the forest facility and caught members of the syndicate off guard while illicit substances were allegedly being processed.
“At the farm in the Ijebu forest, our operatives overran the clandestine laboratory in Ogun State, securing the perimeter and catching the syndicate completely off guard,” he stated.
According to him, seven key members of the cartel were arrested at the laboratory site, including four Nigerians and three Mexican nationals alleged to have served as technical experts responsible for the production of methamphetamine.
The arrested Nigerians were identified as Nwankwo Sunday Christian, 41; Igwe Abuchi Remijus, 42; Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, 23; and Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, 38.
The Mexican nationals arrested during the operation were identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto, 46; Jesus López Valles, 40; and Torrero Juan Carlos, 51.
Marwa said the arrests confirmed intelligence reports suggesting that local drug cartels have increasingly begun importing foreign experts into Nigeria to establish industrial-scale drug laboratories.
“Most notably, the operation confirms our intelligence regarding the importation of foreign technical expertise by local cartels,” he said.
“Among those arrested are three Mexican nationals brought into the country specifically to cook this deadly substance, alongside four Nigerian collaborators,” the NDLEA chairman added.
He further disclosed that another tactical unit simultaneously raided the Lagos residence of the alleged kingpin of the syndicate, identified as Anochili Innocent.
According to Marwa, the suspect was arrested at his residence located at No. 8 Tafawa Balewa Street, Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki area of Lagos State.
The NDLEA boss described the residence as a luxury fortress allegedly linked to the activities of the drug cartel.
He stated that a search conducted at the residence led to the recovery of items directly connecting the suspect to the foreign nationals arrested in Ogun State.
“A meticulous search of his premises led to the recovery of the international passports and mobile phones of the three arrested Mexican cooks, directly linking him to the importation and management of the foreign criminals,” Marwa said.
He added that follow-up operations carried out on Monday, May 18, 2026, led operatives to another property allegedly owned by the syndicate leader at House 70, Close 3, Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos.
At the location, another suspect identified as Kingsley Orike Omonughwa, 44, was arrested.
Investigators subsequently raided another residence allegedly belonging to a syndicate member identified as Emeka Nwobum, which authorities described as a strategic stash house used by the cartel.
According to the NDLEA chairman, the total number of suspects arrested in connection with the operation has now risen to 10.
“The arrest brings to 10 the total number of cartel members, including the baron, the three Mexican specialists, and six Nigerian collaborators, who are currently in NDLEA custody,” he said.
Marwa disclosed that the agency’s specialised chemical and forensic teams were deployed to the clandestine laboratory to examine, test and secure the recovered substances and precursor chemicals.
He described the quantity of recovered materials as staggering and highly dangerous.
According to him, operatives recovered over 2,419 kilograms of methamphetamine and chemical substances used in the production process.
“The operation yielded a massive 2,419.48 kilograms, over 2.4 tons, of chemical materials, including highly toxic, volatile and crystallised methamphetamine worth $362,922,000 in the international market,” he stated.
He explained that the estimated international value translates to more than N480 billion.
Marwa warned that if the substances had successfully entered local and international markets, the consequences would have been devastating.
“To put this in perspective, the 2,419.48 kilograms of finished and liquid methamphetamine seized represents millions of street doses that would have flooded our local communities and international markets, causing untold destruction, psychosis and violence,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman also disclosed that operatives recovered vehicles allegedly used by the syndicate during the operation, including a Toyota Tacoma reportedly deployed for operations at the laboratory and a Toyota Highlander recovered from the residence of the alleged cartel leader.
Marwa stated that the dismantling of the Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organisation came shortly after the recent takedown of another suspected drug network identified as the Simon Amadi cartel.
According to him, the latest operation sends a strong message to local and international drug traffickers that Nigeria will not tolerate industrial-scale illicit drug production within its territory.
“We are fully aware of the shifting tactics of these cartels, including the disturbing trend of hiring South American cartel specialists to set up production factories in our rural communities,” he warned.
“Let it be known that no matter how deep into the bush you hide, no matter how secure your gated estate is, the NDLEA will hunt you down, disrupt your networks and seize your ill-gotten wealth,” Marwa added.
The NDLEA boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling drug cartels and preventing Nigeria from becoming a hub for transnational narcotics production and trafficking.
