Methamphetamine Emergence and Forensic Drug Analysis Challenges in Abuja and Kaduna

The emergence of methamphetamine as a significant drug of abuse in Nigerian urban centres represents a new forensic challenge for law enforcement and laboratory services previously focused on cannabis and opioids. This study empirically examines the emergence of methamphetamine and the associated forensic drug analysis challenges encountered by the NDLEA forensic laboratories in Abuja and Kaduna between 2020 and 2024. An analytical mixed-methods design was employed, reviewing 200 drug seizure analysis reports, conducting laboratory experiments using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on twenty-five seized samples to evaluate existing analytical protocol accuracy, and interviewing fourteen forensic chemists. The study assesses the sensitivity and specificity of colorimetric presumptive tests for methamphetamine detection, the capacity of current confirmatory analytical equipment, and the challenges posed by novel adulterants and precursor chemical substitutions. Findings reveal that traditional colorimetric field tests produced false positive rates of twenty-two percent for methamphetamine when applied to seized samples containing ephedrine-based adulterants. GC-MS confirmatory analysis demonstrated high accuracy but was constrained by equipment availability, with the Abuja laboratory processing a backlog of forty-three cases at the time of the study. Recommendations include procurement of additional GC-MS units for NDLEA laboratories in North West and North Central zones, revision of presumptive testing protocols to include supplementary tests for methamphetamine, and research investment in tracking methamphetamine trafficking networks in Nigeria. Keywords: methamphetamine, forensic drug analysis, NDLEA, Nigeria, GC-MS.