By Evelyn Usman
The trial of 10 defendants in the alleged ₦480 billion clandestine methamphetamine factory case resumed yesterday, with the Federal High Court conducting a locus in quo at the suspected illicit drug laboratory in LOgun State.
The inspection, led by Justice Musa Kakaki, took the court, prosecution and defence teams round the sprawling industrial facility where the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, alleged methamphetamine was produced for distribution outside Nigeria.
At the scene, the prosecution resumed the examination of its first witness, Mr. Ajilema Anebi, a laboratory expert with the NDLEA, who identified the alleged clandestine methamphetamine production facility, as well as several chemicals and industrial equipment recovered during the Agency’s operation.
The witness told the court that the laboratory, where the second to the eighth defendants were arrested, had the capacity to produce large quantities of methamphetamine intended for export.
He further informed the court that some of the chemicals and equipment earlier listed in his testimony had already been admitted as exhibits.
Anebi identified various chemicals and production equipment allegedly used in manufacturing methamphetamine, including benzyl alcohol, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, sodium cyanide, reaction vessels, reflux distillation equipment, gas-powered heating systems and empty chemical drums.
He also pointed out four industrial reactors, describing them as production vessels designed to manufacture methamphetamine on a large scale, as well as a metal distillation unit and a 2,000-litre capacity container which, according to him, contained substances that forensic analysis confirmed tested positive for chemicals associated with methamphetamine production.
At several stages of the inspection, lead defence counsel, Mr. Benson Ndakara, objected to aspects of the witness’s testimony, insisting that the prosecution should properly establish the scientific basis of the evidence being presented.
Speaking with journalists after the inspection, lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Adekunle Adebajo, said the purpose of the visit was to enable the court inspect the alleged crime scene and the exhibits the prosecution intended to rely upon in proving its case.
He explained that while some of the recovered chemicals had been tendered as exhibits during the inspection, the remaining exhibits would be tendered before the court when proceedings resume on Friday.
However, the lead defence counsel, Ndakara maintained that although the inspection showed the process and equipment allegedly used in producing methamphetamine, the actual drug itself was not presented.
“What we have been shown here today is largely the process of producing methamphetamine. We did not see methamphetamine itself. The process of production is different from the end product.
The defendants are charged with being in possession of methamphetamine, but what has been shown to us is the production process, not the product itself,” he argued.
Also speaking, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, described the discovery of the laboratory as another major breakthrough in the Agency’s sustained offensive against illicit drug production.
According to him, the sheer volume of chemicals and equipment recovered from the facility showed the grave danger the operation posed to public health and national security.
“This is another landmark achievement for the Agency in our drug control efforts. Imagine the volume of what was recovered here. It is enough to create serious public health and security challenges, not only in Nigeria but across the sub-region and even beyond,” he said.
Responding to concerns that Nigeria was gradually becoming a production hub for methamphetamine rather than merely a transit route for illicit drugs, Babafemi said the NDLEA had uncovered a deliberate attempt by international drug cartels to establish clandestine laboratories in the country.
He explained that unlike in the past, the syndicates now concealed such facilities deep inside forests to avoid detection.
“The Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency has expressed concern over attempts by international drug cartels to establish methamphetamine production hubs, particularly in the South-West. They are no longer operating within cities but deep inside forests.
“But the Agency has risen to the challenge. We will not allow them to gain a foothold anywhere in Nigeria. That is why these laboratories are being dismantled before the dangerous substances find their way into our communities, our streets and the international market,” he said.
Babafemi disclosed that 10 persons are standing trial in the case, comprising the alleged drug baron, Innocent Orji, three Mexican nationals and six other alleged accomplices.
Following the inspection, Justice Musa Kakaki adjourned further hearing in the matter till Friday, July 24, for the continuation of hearing and arguments on the admissibility of the remaining exhibits.
