Nigerian Government Locates Binance Executive Nadeem Anjarwalla in Kenya, Seeks Extradition
The Nigerian government has made a breakthrough in the case involving Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla, who had escaped custody and fled to Kenya. According to sources within the Nigerian presidency, Anjarwalla’s whereabouts in Kenya have been located, and efforts are now underway to bring him back to Nigeria.
Anjarwalla is facing serious allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, and currency speculation amounting to $35.4 million. These charges have led to collaborative efforts between Nigerian agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police, the Kenyan Police, and Interpol.
The case dates back to February when Anjarwalla and another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, were detained in Nigeria over claims of manipulating the Nigerian naira. While Gambaryan remains in EFCC custody, Anjarwalla managed to escape on March 22 by boarding a flight out of Abuja using his UK passport.
The Nigerian government has been working closely with international agencies, including the FBI and authorities from the UK, Northern Ireland, and Kenya, to address the allegations against Anjarwalla and Binance Holdings Limited.
The situation has also had repercussions for Binance, as the exchange announced on March 5 that it would halt all naira transactions and remove all naira trading pairs from its platform. This decision came amidst the Nigerian government’s efforts to crack down on suspected money laundering activities involving crypto exchanges.
The Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Olayemi Cardoso, has expressed concerns about crypto exchanges in Nigeria facilitating illicit transactions amounting to over $21.6 billion. The ongoing investigation and efforts to bring Anjarwalla back to Nigeria highlight the government’s commitment to combating financial crimes and ensuring accountability in the crypto industry.
