- A Lagos court will rule on July 24 on the NDLEA’s request to demolish an Ogun meth lab
- The agency said the facility contained chemicals and equipment worth over ₦480 billion
- Defence lawyers opposed parts of the prosecution’s evidence during the hearing
The Federal High Court in Lagos has scheduled July 24, 2026, to decide an application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seeking approval to demolish a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory discovered in a remote forest in Ogun State.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Justice Musa Kakaki fixed the date after conducting a special court session on Wednesday at the laboratory site in Mowe village, Ijebu East Local Government Area.
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The NDLEA told the court that the facility served as a major methamphetamine production centre allegedly supplying international markets. According to the agency, the laboratory contained chemicals and equipment capable of producing 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value exceeding ₦480 billion.
The application follows the July 10 arraignment of three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians on an 11-count charge relating to the alleged establishment and operation of the illegal drug laboratory. All 10 defendants pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors alleged that the suspects manufactured and possessed large quantities of methamphetamine and operated a drug trafficking network that transported precursor chemicals from Lagos to the Ogun forest facility.
The NDLEA said the recovered materials included toluene, phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), phenylacetic acid, acetone and hydrochloric acid, which were allegedly moved to the laboratory using several vehicles.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the prosecution called its first witness, clandestine laboratory expert Ajilema Anebi, who testified that scientific analysis confirmed the recovered substances were used in the production and storage of methamphetamine intended for export.
Anebi also explained the functions of some of the chemicals in the manufacturing process and presented equipment and chemical exhibits recovered from the site. The court had earlier admitted an inventory of the recovered items into evidence.
Meanwhile, NDLEA counsel Adekunle Adebanjo urged the court to grant the agency’s application to destroy the laboratory.
However, defence counsel Benson Ndakara challenged parts of the prosecution’s evidence and objected to some of the exhibits tendered before the court.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Justice Kakaki adjourned proceedings until July 24 for a ruling on the agency’s request to demolish the illegal methamphetamine laboratory.
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