A Nigerian a billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, had been arrested in Switzerland along with his co-conspirators: 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi, in Anambra state, and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi, in Agbor, Delta state.

In a statement on Thursday, the NDLEA said that the arrest of the trio followed months of intelligence and investigations across multiple jurisdictions linking Amadi to the laundering of hundreds of billions of Naira in proceeds of drug and financial crimes.

In addition to the arrest of the suspects, the NDLEA, in collaboration with its international law enforcement partners, has also traced multi-billion assets linked to Amadi’s transnational criminal network in Nigeria and abroad.

“His operations in Nigeria included a complex scheme of front and shell companies; pass-throughs and delegates; and the use of numerous traditional and cryptocurrency accounts to conceal and launder illicit funds.

Properties already identified and linked to Amadi Simon as proceeds of illicit drug funds include Jovi Hotel at 1 Isiayei Street GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites at 4 Orikeze by Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; as well as Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court Mabushi, Abuja.

“Also, several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses used by the cartel to conceal hundreds of billions of illicit funds have also been identified and blocked.”

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd),expressed gratitude for the support received from the US-DEA to crack and dismantle Amadi’s transnational criminal network, adding that the US mission to Nigeria has continued to partner with the agency to combat narcotics trafficking through training in intelligence, evidence collection, case management, and tactical operations as well as the provision of critical equipment.

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A gateman identified as Abdullahi Dairu has been nowhere to be found following the murder of a 67-year-old man, Chief Augustine Nwalieze, a manager with Okeyson Transport.

Chief Nwalieze’s body was discovered with deep machete wounds in his home at Ajah area of Lagos State, a development that has thrown his family and friends into mourning.

It was learned that Nwalieze was attacked Saturday morning as he prepared to go out.

Nwalieze lived with his wife, daughter, two maids, and another woman, who were upstairs at the time of the incident.

A family source said the victim’s gateman identified as Abdullahi Dairu has been nowhere to be found since the incident.

According to the source, Dairu allegedly attacked Nwalieze for yet-to-be-ascertained reasons as the victim walked downstairs to the car park, close to the store where spare parts from his cars are kept and a solar panel was stored.

“Nobody could really tell what happened. They didn’t hear the sound of any car driving off or the gate opening.

His three cars were still parked, so, they became worried about his whereabouts.

They called his phone, but he didn’t pick up,” the source said.

The source added that Dairu could not give a straight answer when questioned about his boss’ whereabouts.

They went to Abdullahi Dairu, and he mentioned one of his friends, claiming he went out with him. But when the wife called that same friend, he said he hadn’t seen him that day,” the source stated.

The case against Dairu grew stronger after he went into hiding, the source further stated.“

By the time they returned to question him again, he had disappeared. That was when they began to search the compound thoroughly.

They found his lifeless body in one of the flats downstairs.

He had machete cuts on his head, hands, and body. It was a terrible sight,” the source disclosed.

The victim was immediately rushed to hospital but efforts to revive him failed.

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday arraigned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on a newly amended five-count charge involving the alleged unlawful wiretapping of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.

Appearing before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja, El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The charges allege violations of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, specifically regarding unauthorized interception of communications and compromising public safety.

The case originated from a February 13, 2026, interview on Arise News, where El-Rufai reportedly admitted to tapping the NSA’s phone lines. He claimed the surveillance revealed a plot by the DSS to arrest him at the Abuja airport following a trip to Cairo.

On March 2, the ICPC raided El-Rufai’s Abuja residence, reportedly recovering specialized wiretapping equipment and documents.

A major point of contention during the proceedings was the prosecution’s application to conceal the identities of two key witnesses.

The Prosecution argued that using pseudonyms is necessary to protect the witnesses and their families from potential attacks by El-Rufai’s sympathizers.

The Defence lead counsel Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, opposed the request, arguing it is a constitutional right for the accused to face his accusers. He noted there was no evidence that El-Rufai leads a “cult-like” following or poses any physical threat.

The defense team also moved to quash the charges entirely, though the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the application as meritless.

Furthermore, Iyamu objected to a request for three consecutive trial days, citing the difficulty of accessing his client. El-Rufai is currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on separate matters.

Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until May 18, 19, and 20, when the court will rule on the pending applications and begin the trial. If convicted, the former governor faces up to three years in prison.