The Federal High Court in Lagos has scheduled Friday, July 24, to rule on an application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seeking approval to destroy a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory uncovered in a remote forest in Ogun State.
Justice Musa Kakaki fixed the date after conducting a special court session on Wednesday at the illegal laboratory located in Mowe village, Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The laboratory is at the centre of an ongoing criminal trial involving three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians, who were arraigned by the NDLEA on July 10, 2026, on an 11-count charge bordering on the alleged establishment and operation of the illicit drug production facility.
According to the NDLEA, operatives discovered sophisticated equipment and large quantities of chemicals allegedly used in producing 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value exceeding ₦480 billion.
The defendants are accused of manufacturing and possessing significant quantities of methamphetamine, a highly addictive psychotropic drug classified alongside cocaine, heroin and LSD. Prosecutors further alleged that they operated and financed a drug trafficking syndicate responsible for transporting precursor chemicals from Lagos to the hidden laboratory in Ogun State.
The chemicals recovered from the site reportedly include toluene, phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), phenylacetic acid, acetone and hydrochloric acid. The NDLEA told the court that the substances were transported in vehicles, including a Toyota Tacoma, a Mercedes-Benz bearing registration number APP 942 YL, and a Toyota Highlander with registration number GWA 662 DJ.
The agency also alleged that the defendants unlawfully possessed 358 kilograms of toluene, 1,834 kilograms of hydrochloric acid and 22.5 kilograms of acetone, all intended for the manufacture of methamphetamine.
All ten defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At Wednesday's proceedings, the prosecution presented its first witness, NDLEA clandestine laboratory expert Mr. Ajilema Anebi, who testified that scientific examinations conducted by his team confirmed that the chemicals and equipment recovered from the facility were used to produce and store large quantities of methamphetamine allegedly meant for export.
Anebi also explained the role of alcohol and hydrochloric acid in the methamphetamine production process and tendered exhibits relating to the equipment and chemicals seized from the laboratory. The court had earlier admitted the inventory of the recovered items into evidence.
During the hearing, NDLEA prosecuting counsel, Adekunle Adebanjo, urged the court to grant the agency's pending application to destroy the multi-million-dollar laboratory, arguing that the facility posed significant risks.
However, defence counsel led by Benson Ndakara challenged aspects of the prosecution's evidence and raised objections to some of the exhibits tendered before the court.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Kakaki adjourned the matter until July 24 for a ruling on the NDLEA's application.
The court's decision is expected to determine the immediate fate of the laboratory, which the NDLEA has described as one of the country's major clandestine methamphetamine production hubs allegedly supplying illicit drug markets outside Nigeria.
