A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) permission to dismantle an alleged clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Ogun State and destroy some of the dangerous chemicals recovered from the site. However, the court ordered that certain disputed chemicals should be preserved pending the conclusion of the ongoing trial.
Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the ruling after hearing arguments from both the NDLEA and lawyers representing the defendants in the case involving the alleged operation of a large-scale methamphetamine production facility valued at approximately ₦480 billion.
The laboratory is located at Iloti Village, within the Abidagba Forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, where NDLEA operatives arrested three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians accused of operating the illegal drug manufacturing facility.
The court’s decision came just two days after Justice Kakaki, accompanied by lawyers from both sides, visited the remote forest to inspect the laboratory and the substances recovered from the scene.
During the hearing, Deputy Commander of the NDLEA, Buhari Abdullahi, urged the court to allow the agency dismantle the laboratory and destroy the hazardous chemicals and illicit drugs, arguing that leaving the facility intact posed a serious threat to public health and the safety of NDLEA personnel stationed there.
Abdullahi told the court that officers had guarded the facility for more than two months under extremely hazardous conditions.
He explained that the laboratory contained toxic substances that required anyone entering the premises to wear protective clothing, face masks and other specialised safety equipment.
The prosecutor also recalled suffering an allergic reaction while handling matters related to the case, stressing that the agency’s request was in line with its legal responsibility to safely dispose of dangerous drugs and precursor chemicals.
“The application was filed in the interest of public health, safety and the protection of agency officials who have been stationed at the site for more than two months,” Abdullahi told the court.
He further argued that the defendants had already been given sufficient opportunity to inspect the recovered exhibits and insisted there was no legal reason to delay the destruction of hazardous substances.
However, counsel to the defendants, Benson Ndakara, strongly opposed the application.
He argued that destroying the substances before the defence had the opportunity to carry out an independent forensic examination would seriously prejudice the ongoing trial.
According to him, the prosecution had already presented its key witness, while the defence was yet to fully cross-examine the witness or verify the authenticity of the alleged exhibits.
Ndakara maintained that the prosecution should only seek permission to destroy the exhibits after they had been formally tendered and admitted as evidence before the court.
He also questioned whether some of the chemicals listed in the NDLEA report were actually present at the laboratory during the court’s inspection.
“The essence of the visit to the locus in quo was to see things ourselves and not to assume. We were not shown Toluene. Acetone was also indicated in the report but not found at the site. Most importantly, we were not shown Methamphetamine,” Ndakara argued.
He warned that destroying the substances now could leave the defence with no opportunity to challenge any future evidence presented by the prosecution.
“We fear that if these substances are destroyed now, the prosecution could later produce another substance and claim it is methamphetamine, leaving the defence with no means of effectively challenging it,” he added.
Responding to the objections, the NDLEA prosecutor insisted that the disputed chemicals—including Toluene, Acetone and Hydrochloric Acid—were indeed present at the laboratory.
He explained that some of the chemicals had already been mixed during the manufacturing process, while others were stored deeper inside the forest where the court could not safely access during the inspection.
Abdullahi assured the court that the agency would produce the disputed chemicals if directed to do so.
After considering the submissions from both parties, Justice Kakaki ruled in favour of the NDLEA’s application to dismantle the laboratory and destroy some of the dangerous chemicals.
However, the judge restrained the agency from destroying the disputed chemicals raised by the defence until the court determines their status during the trial.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 26, 27 and 28 for further hearing, including a ruling on the disputed substances and continuation of the trial.
The case involves three Mexican nationals—Juan Carlos Meza Torrero (49), Nemecio Martinez Felix (46), and Jesus López Valles (40)—alongside seven Nigerian suspects, including Anochili Innocent (63), whom prosecutors described as the alleged drug baron.
The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful production and possession of methamphetamine, operating a drug trafficking organisation, and unlawful possession of precursor chemicals.
All ten defendants pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned before the court on July 11 and have remained in custody pending the outcome of the trial.
