The Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered the remand of two Mexican nationals and four Nigerians arrested over their alleged involvement in operating a methamphetamine laboratory in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area.
The Mexican suspects were identified as Jose Villa Ochoa and Carrera Loaiza Arturo, while the four Nigerian defendants are Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu.
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ochoa and the four Nigerian suspects were arrested on June 17, 2026. Arturo was subsequently arrested on August 19 while allegedly attempting to leave the country through the Lagos airport.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, had earlier disclosed that Ochoa was brought into Nigeria to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine, while the Nigerian suspects were responsible for logistics and local operations.
In a statement on Friday, Babafemi said the six defendants were arraigned on a four-count charge relating to the alleged unlawful transportation and distribution of chemical substances intended for methamphetamine production.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, the presiding judge, Nkeonye Evelyn Maha, ordered that they be remanded at a correctional facility in Ibadan.
In a related development, the NDLEA discovered an “industrial-scale” methamphetamine laboratory in Ebonyi State in September.