Key Takeaways:
- Extradition Pending: Nadeem Anjarwalla, a former Binance executive, may be extradited from Kenya to Nigeria within a week, following his evasion of Nigerian authorities last March.
- Collaborative Efforts: Nigerian and Kenyan authorities, with the aid of INTERPOL, are actively working to facilitate Anjarwalla’s extradition after he used a hidden Kenyan passport to flee Nigeria.
- Legal Troubles for Binance Executives: Anjarwalla and another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, face charges of currency manipulation, tax evasion, and money laundering in Nigeria, bringing attention to regulatory challenges in the cryptocurrency sector.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, a former Binance executive who evaded capture in Nigeria last March, could potentially be extradited back to Nigeria within a week, according to a report by a local media outlet that quoted anonymous government sources.
Nigeria is pressing for the extradition of Anjarwalla, who fled to Kenya after escaping Nigerian custody.
JUST IN: Kenya set to extradite Binance executive who escaped custody back to Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/vH6zXiv2hR
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) April 22, 2024
Multiple local media sources have confirmed that Anjarwalla has been located in Kenya and is now facing possible extradition.
According to reports from Nigeria’s Daily Post and The Punch, Nigerian officials, collaborating with Kenyan authorities, are attempting to facilitate his return through INTERPOL.
Nigeria’s police force, Kenya’s foreign ministry, and INTERPOL have been contacted for further comments on the matter.
JUST IN: Kenyan police arrest Binance executive who escaped from Nigeriahttps://t.co/uzowW61cPA pic.twitter.com/gLLSriX8F0
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) April 21, 2024
In February, Nigerian authorities arrested Anjarwalla alongside another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, accusing them and the crypto exchange of manipulating the local currency exchange rate, evading taxes, and engaging in money laundering.
Anjarwalla, who holds dual British-Kenyan citizenship, allegedly used a hidden Kenyan passport to flee Nigeria in March.
Meanwhile, Gambaryan, who remains in Nigeria, has pleaded not guilty to the charges of money laundering during a court session in April.
Kenya to extradite Binance executive who escaped from Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/6GBuVAY5tL
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) April 22, 2024
This incident has highlighted ongoing issues surrounding cryptocurrency regulations and the legal challenges faced by those in the sector.