Mexican and four Nigerians arrested after NDLEA discovers secret meth lab in Oyo forest.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled an industrial‑scale methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in Oyo State, arresting a Mexican national and four Nigerians who were linked to the operation.

The agency released the information in a statement from its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the statement, NDLEA tactical operatives discovered the clandestine drug facility on 17 June 2026 at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State during a special operation.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brigadier‑General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), described the laboratory as a sophisticated and heavily fortified facility allegedly run by a transnational drug cartel with the capacity for large‑scale methamphetamine production.

Marwa said that five suspected members of the syndicate were arrested during the raid, including 56‑year‑old Mexican national Jose Villa Ochoa, who was alleged to have been brought into Nigeria to provide technical expertise for methamphetamine production.

The other suspects arrested were Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.

According to the NDLEA chairman, the arrest of the foreign suspect highlights the increasing transnational dimension of illicit drug production and trafficking activities in Nigeria.

“The facility was a highly fortified and sophisticated clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operated by a transnational drug cartel,” Marwa stated.

The agency further disclosed that, following the operation, officials from its Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring visited the site on 18 June to conduct a detailed forensic examination of the laboratory and surrounding area.

The NDLEA said investigations into the operation and activities of the suspected syndicate are ongoing.