The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said there are attempts by international drug syndicates to set up a methamphetamine production hub in the south-west of Nigeria.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive, synthetic stimulant that drastically affects the central nervous system. It causes severe physical and psychological damage.
Though, this is coming after NDLEA in May uncovered a meth laboratory in Ogun forest during an intelligence-led operation.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotic agency, Femi Babafemi said in a statement that the operation led to the seizure of over 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine and chemical materials valued at more than $362 million, equivalent to over N480 billion in the international market.
He said the industrial-scale laboratory was hidden inside a remote forest in Ijebu east LGA, and was jointly operated by a Nigerian drug cartel and Mexican methamphetamine experts.
Earlier in July, the agency declared Nnamuka Kelvin Uchenna, a suspected drug kingpin, and three of his associates wanted over alleged involvement in the operation of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Imo state.
While addressing newsmen during an inspection of the facilities used for production of the illicit substance in Ogun state, Babafemi said the operation was a major breakthrough in the agency’s anti-drug campaign.
He said the volume of methamphetamine recovered from the clandestine laboratory was enough to pose significant public health and security threats within Nigeria, the West Africa sub-region, and beyond.
“It’s indeed a landmark for the agency in our efforts, in our drug control efforts, because you imagine the volume of what was recovered here, but that’s enough to cause a lot of issues, public health issues, security challenges, not only in our country Nigeria but even in the sub-region,” Babafemi said.
“And in other jurisdictions that’s outside of this country, because of the nature and the potency of the drug that’s methamphetamine being produced at an industrial scale in this facility, and we are glad that we have a prosecution team that is doing excellently well already in prosecuting the case.”
Babafemi added that the illicit drug was being produced on an industrial scale at the facility before the agency dismantled the operation.
He said the agency’s prosecution team had made significant progress in pursuing the case and expressed confidence in the ongoing trial.
According to the director, Buba Marwa, chairman of the NDLEA, had raised concerns over attempts by international drug syndicates to establish methamphetamine production bases in the country’s south-west.
Babafemi said the cartels had shifted their operations away from cities and towns to remote forest locations in a bid to evade detection.
“Indeed, the chairman of the agency, Buba Marwa, did say that… earlier in his statement, that it is of serious concern that there seems to be an attempt by the drug syndicates, especially the international cartels trying to establish meth production hub within the south-west region of the country and they are not doing this within the cities or within the towns but going into the forest to do this,” the director said.
“It’s a challenge the agency has risen up to, to ensure that we don’t allow them to have a hold not only in the south-west but in the entire country and that’s the result of what we all have seen with the immediate dismantling of the syndicates before they move the dangerous substances into our streets, into our communities and into the international markets.”
Babafemi said 10 suspects are being prosecuted in connection with the case, including alleged drug baron Anochili Innocent, three Mexican nationals and six other accomplices.
Adekunle Adebajo, NDLEA’s head prosecutor in Lagos, said while some exhibits had been admitted during previous proceedings, the others would be tendered on Friday when the case resumes.
Adebajo said an application had earlier been filed to dismantle the meth production facility, adding that any further action would depend on the court’s ruling on the application.
He noted that outstanding exhibits would be admitted at the next sitting.
