- The Nigerian government has confirmed that Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped custody in Nigeria, has been apprehended in Kenya, with talks underway to extradite him.
- This comes nearly a month after he escaped from the Abuja guest house, where he and Gambaryan were detained over allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.
- In March 2024, EFCC chairman Ola Olukayode announced that the government was working with Kenya, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland to bring Anjarwalla to trial.
Per TechCabal, a detective with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who requested anonymity due to the gravity of the situation, revealed that the DCI has received a request to extradite Nadeem Anjarwalla from Nigeria but has yet to act.
“You cannot just walk in and arrest him based on the request. It’s a process. Also, the Anjarwallas are influential and have the backing of some powerful people.”
The fleeing Binance executive is said to be the son of Atiq Anjarwalla, a senior partner at Anjarwalla & Khanna Advocates, East Africa’s largest commercial law firm.
Meanwhile, the extradition process might encounter challenges. According to Kenya’s extradition laws, before Anjarwalla can be arrested, a Nigerian court must issue an arrest warrant, which will be forwarded to Nairobi’s attorney general. Nigeria can also request a red notice through Interpol, an international organisation that promotes global police cooperation and crime control.
Following the arrest, Kenyan police must obtain court consent, which could take months or years.
Per the DCI detective, “Police agencies share information among themselves and through the Interpol. The collaboration can only go up to a certain level as allowed by the law. Effecting an Interpol red notice or a foreign arrest warrant is entirely different.”
As previously reported, a Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the tax evasion case involving Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla earlier this month.
This comes after the court charged Binance with four counts of tax evasion: failure to pay company income tax, nonpayment of value-added tax (VAT), noncompliance with tax return filing obligations, and complicity in assisting its users evade taxes via its platform.
The executive was charged with laundering more than $35 million, and his formal arraignment is scheduled for April 8, followed by tax charges on April 19.
