Sodeinde QuadriThe Kenya Police Service has apprehended Nadeem Anjarwalla, a fleeing executive of Binance, as efforts to extradite him to Nigeria intensify with the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
Government sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed the arrest to Punch on Sunday night.
According to one of the sources, “Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has been arrested by the Kenya Police Service, and he would be extradited to Nigeria this week by INTERPOL.”
Another source reiterated, “As we had said before that Anjarwalla would be extradited, he has been arrested in Kenya, and heโll be extradited to Nigeria this week.”
Advertisement
Anjarwalla had reportedly fled Nigeria while under lawful custody, prompting the Federal Government to track him down in Kenya.
In response to the development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the International Criminal Police (INTERPOL), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Kenyan Police Service have intensified discussions to expedite Anjarwallaโs extradition.
A source stated, “We have found him. We know where he is; he is in Kenya, and weโre working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria. All hands are on the deck, the government and all the security agencies are working hard in conjunction with the Kenyan authorities and INTERPOL to ensure his return to Nigeria to face the charges brought against him.”
In March, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had confirmed in the commission’s bulletin titled, โEFCC Alert,โ that efforts were underway to extradite Anjarwalla in collaboration with INTERPOL, the United Statesโ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya.
Olukayode stated, โThe takeover of the prosecution of Binance chiefs by the commission is no less a strong message in the direction of EFCCโs resolve to hedge in distortions and disruptions in the countryโs forex market.”
“Tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000 are at the foundation of the Commissionโs five counts against Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the companyโs chief executives. While Gambaryan is currently in the Commissionโs net, the process of extraditing the fleeing Anjarwalla is revving in full swing.”
“Involved in partnership with the EFCC to apprehend Anjarwalla are the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya, as the clock winds down to his arraignment in absentia alongside the company and Gambaryan.โ
