The Suspect
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major transnational drug syndicate, uncovering a massive methamphetamine production facility valued at over ₦480 billion.
The operation, described as one of the agency’s most significant breakthroughs, led to the arrest of 10 suspects, including three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the development during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the clandestine laboratory the largest ever discovered in Nigeria was hidden within the Abidagba Forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The facility was reportedly operated by the Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organisation, in collaboration with foreign partners.
Marwa explained that the raid followed months of intelligence gathering and was executed simultaneously across Ogun and Lagos States on May 16, 2026, by the agency’s Special Operations Unit.
“This was a highly coordinated operation targeting a sophisticated international drug network manufacturing dangerous substances on an industrial scale within Nigeria,” he said.
Seven suspects were apprehended at the forest laboratory, including the three Mexican nationals identified as Martinez Nemecto (46), Jesus Valles (40), and Torrero Carlos (51).
Nigerian suspects arrested at the site include Nwankwo Christian (41), Igwe Remijus (42), Ifeanyichukwu Joshua (23), and Egwuonwu Victor (38).
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The alleged kingpin, Anochili Innocent, was later arrested at his residence in Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos, where authorities recovered passports and mobile devices linking him to the foreign collaborators.
A follow-up operation on May 18 led to the arrest of another suspect, Kingsley Orike Omonughwa (44), at a separate property in the same area.
NDLEA operatives recovered 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals, with an estimated international market value of $362.9 million (over ₦480 billion).
Also seized were operational vehicles, including a Toyota Tacoma used at the lab and a Toyota Highlander recovered from the kingpin’s residence.
Marwa warned that the volume of drugs intercepted could have resulted in widespread harm if allowed to reach local and international markets.
“This quantity represents millions of street doses capable of causing severe addiction, violence, and psychological damage,” he stated.
The NDLEA boss also raised concerns over the growing trend of international drug cartels recruiting foreign experts to establish drug production hubs in Nigeria’s rural areas.
He urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, noting that the Ogun facility was disguised as a legitimate farm.
Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to intensify its crackdown on drug trafficking networks and their collaborators across the country.
“We will continue to adapt and respond decisively to evolving tactics used by these criminal organizations,” he said.
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