Operatives of Nigeria’s anti-drug agency the NDLEA have stumbled on a giant methamphetamine laboratory that can produce $2 billion worth of the drug.
The laboratory was in Asaba, Delta state.

An NDLEA official in a meth lab

Eight persons, including four Nigerians and Mexicans were arrested with 1. 5 kilograms of the drug with street value of $ 1million .

One kilogram of Methamphetamine according to the NDLEA is valued at $600, 000 street price .

This super methamphetamine laboratory according to the NDLEA is similar to the ones found in Mexico with capacity to produce between 3,000 to 4, 000 kilograms in per production circles .

If the suspects had completed the production circle at the illicit factory in Asaba, the drug would have had street value of $2 billion.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah said the super laboratory was discovered by the special enforcement team of the agency.

He said the Nigerians arrested are believed to be joint owners of the laboratory and four Mexicans who are methamphetamine production experts hired as technical partners into the country.

The NDLEA boss gave the names of the suspects are Chief Chibi Aruh, William Ejike Agusi, Umolu Kosisochukwu and Umolu Ckukwemeka.

Others are Cervantos Madrid Jose Bruno, Rivas Ruiz Pastiano, Castillo Barraza Cristobal and Partida Gonzalez Pedro.

Abdallah described the operation as technical undercover assignment leading to the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization.

“A significant feature of this laboratory is that the production process is more technical and sophisticated because it uses the synthesis method of methamphetamine production.

All the principal actors linked to this illicit act were apprehended in a simultaneous raid on members of the drug syndicate in Lagos, Obosi in Anambra state and at the laboratory in Asaba, Delta state” Abdallah stated.

Authorities of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, on Friday raised concerns over alleged invasion and subsequent destruction of the institution’s farmlands by suspected herdsmen.

The Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr Taiwo Akande, said at a pre- convocation news conference in Ado-Ekiti that the institution had lost several millions in monetary terms to the menace.

She called on the Federal Government to intervene in the crisis.

She added that the police and eminent Nigerians like Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) whose university is located directly opposite the polytechnic had intervened to stop further damage but to no avail.

“This menace of these herdsmen has been most destructive on many of our demonstration farms and pilot plantations.

“It is most painful to also disclose that some of the pilot farm projects, academic, research demonstration farms and recently established plantations on which we pinned our hope for future revenue enhancement have been destroyed one after the other by these people.

“They will bring their animals to the campus environment and eat up every green thing in sight,” she said.

According to her, this systematic destruction of the institution’s farms and project has been on for more than two years.

Akande also said another major problem confronting the polytechnic was the activities of land grabbers and illegal settlers.

The rector also listed continued dwindling resources arising from low funding by the Federal Government and poor patronage by the private sector in terms of endowment as part of current challenges of the polytechnic.

She appealed to the Federal Government to make polytechnic education more attractive to Nigerian admission seekers and sponsors alike by removing the age-long dichotomy between it and the university.