Toyyibat Qasim
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has dismantled an alleged Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Eziama community, Obeagu, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The agency also arrested two men it identified as alleged kingpins of the operation, following months of intelligence gathering and surveillance by its Special Operations Unit.
The suspects are Chukwu Obumneme Christopher, 45, popularly known as Brown, and Chukwu Georginus Monday, 60, alias George.
According to the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the two suspects allegedly operated the laboratory in collaboration with Rodriguez Villanueva, whom the agency described as a Mexican drug cartel member based in Mexico City.
Babafemi disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, adding that the operation followed surveillance of the syndicate and the movements of one of the suspects across Lagos, Enugu and Anambra states.
The agency said its operatives tracked Brown between December 1 and 4, 2025, before tracing him to a compound in Obeagu, where they uncovered what it described as a sophisticated clandestine laboratory capable of producing methamphetamine in commercial quantities.
The NDLEA said the facility contained improvised reactors and distillation equipment, adding that the setup was similar to laboratories previously dismantled in Ogun, Oyo and Ebonyi states.
The agency said a search of the premises led to the recovery of substantial quantities of chemicals allegedly used in the production of methamphetamine.
The recovered substances included 690 litres of methylamine, 1,000 litres of isopropyl alcohol, 300 litres of hydrochloric acid, 290 litres each of toluene and acetone, and 400 litres of liquid sodium hydroxide.
Others were 125 kilogrammes of N-phenylacetamide, 414 kilogrammes of lead acetate and 769.6 kilogrammes of tartaric acid.
The NDLEA said the combination of the substances was consistent with a P2P-based methamphetamine manufacturing operation.
A further search of George’s family residence allegedly yielded eight large fuel tanks, four commercial gas burners, four dehydrators and 11 kilogrammes of ephedrine.
The agency said investigations indicated that the operation had a transnational dimension, with Nigerian suspects allegedly working with a Mexican national.
The two suspects have subsequently been arraigned before Justice Mabel Taiye Segun-Bello of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.
They were charged on five counts bordering on alleged conspiracy, organisation, management and financing of a drug trafficking organisation, as well as unlawful possession of precursor chemicals allegedly used in methamphetamine production.
The suspects pleaded to the charges.
Following an application by the NDLEA for an accelerated hearing, the court reportedly fixed October 21, 2026, for commencement of trial.
The agency said three other persons named in the charge remain at large.
They were identified as Uchenna, alias Uche; Celestine Ikemefuna Iwuchukwu; and Rodriguez Villanueva.
Reacting to the development, the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the agency would continue its efforts to track down all suspects linked to the operation.
Marwa described the Enugu laboratory seizure as further evidence of the agency’s efforts to prevent Nigeria from being used as a base for transnational drug trafficking organisations.
According to the NDLEA chairman, intelligence-led operations and international cooperation would remain central to disrupting the activities of drug trafficking networks operating across national borders.
He also directed NDLEA personnel to sustain enforcement operations against illicit drug production and trafficking.
The Enugu operation comes amid the agency’s continuing efforts to detect and dismantle clandestine drug-production facilities and disrupt networks involved in the manufacture and distribution of illicit substances.
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