Operatives of the NDLEA, working with the US-DEA Lagos Country Office and law enforcement partners from Switzerland, France, and Greece, have dismantled a transnational criminal network laundering hundreds of billions of Naira from drug proceeds across Europe and Nigeria. The coordinated operation on 28 April 2026 led to the simultaneous arrest of billionaire drug baron Amadi Simon in Switzerland, 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi in Anambra, and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi in Agbor, Delta State.
Investigations linked Amadi to a complex scheme involving front companies, shell entities, and multiple traditional and cryptocurrency accounts used to conceal illicit funds. Authorities have identified and traced multi-billion Naira assets tied to the syndicate in Nigeria, including Jovi Hotel in Asaba, Jovi Hotel and Suites in Agbor, and Jovi Apartment in Mabushi, Abuja. Several bank accounts and crypto addresses linked to the cartel have also been blocked.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the operation sends a clear message that Nigeria will not serve as a haven for drug cartels or their criminal proceeds. He thanked the US-DEA and other partners for their support and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to expanding international cooperation to tackle narcotics trafficking and associated financial crimes.
