ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has publicly commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for dismantling a major Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartel. The operation, which led to the discovery of Nigeria’s largest ever clandestine meth laboratory, was announced by NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa on Wednesday.
Tinubu described the bust as a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s fight against organised crime. He said the scale of the operation reflects the growing professionalism and international reach of NDLEA under Marwa’s leadership.
“I commend your bravery, resilience, and dedication. This breakthrough sends a clear message that Nigeria will not be used as a base for international drug trafficking and production,” Tinubu said in a statement issued by the State House.
The operation, codenamed by NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit, involved weeks of intelligence gathering and coordinated raids across Ogun and Lagos states. Three Mexican nationals were among those arrested. The seized drugs had an estimated international street value of $362.9 million, about N480 billion.
International Dimensions
The involvement of Mexican nationals in a Nigerian drug laboratory is significant. Mexican cartels are among the most powerful drug trafficking organisations in the world. Their presence in Nigeria suggests that the country’s criminal networks are now integrated into global narcotics supply chains at a new and dangerous level.
US Drug Enforcement Administration and Interpol provided intelligence support for the operation. Their involvement reflects the international community’s concern about Nigeria becoming a drug production hub in addition to its existing role as a transit country for narcotics.
Furthermore, the bust follows a series of major NDLEA operations in 2026. The agency recorded 974 drug-related convictions in the first quarter of the year, including 11 major kingpins sentenced to a combined 254 years in prison. Nigeria is increasingly seen as a serious partner in the global fight against drug trafficking.
West Africa and the Drug Trade
West Africa has emerged as a significant transit and increasingly as a production zone for narcotics destined for Europe, North America, and Asia. Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Benin have all been identified as important nodes in global trafficking networks.
The presence of an industrial meth laboratory in Ogun State raises urgent questions about how long the operation ran undetected and who in the local community facilitated it. NDLEA said its investigation is ongoing and that additional arrests are expected.
Regional neighbours and international partners have been briefed on the Ogun operation. ECOWAS has said it will include the Nigerian case in its regional drug trafficking review scheduled for June 2026. Experts say stronger regional intelligence sharing is essential to prevent drug cartels from simply relocating operations to less-monitored neighbouring countries.
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