In the latest development of the saga between Binance and Nigerian authorities, the executive who fled from Nigerian custody at the end of March has been traced to Kenya by the Federal Government.
According to local reports, authorities are starting the extradition process and interrogating the guards in charge of the executive’s custody.
Binance Exec’s Extradition “In Full Swing”
According to local newspaper PUNCH, authorities discovered Nadeem Anjarwalla’s whereabouts over the weekend. Following his escape from custody, the Nigerian Federal Government traced the fugitive to Kenya.
Per the report, the investigation blew the Binance executive’s cover and found his hiding spot. Sources within the presidency’s office told the local newspaper that Anjarwalla went into hiding immediately after landing in the country.
We have found him. We know where he is. He is in Kenya, and we’re working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria.
Another source confirmed the information to the newspaper, assuring Nigerian authorities, alongside the Kenyan government and INTERPOL, were “working hard (…) to ensure his return to Nigeria and face the charges brought against him.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chair, Ola Olukoyede, confirmed that the commission was collaborating with the International Criminal Police Organization, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya in the extradition process.
Olukoyede stated that the EFCC’s takeover of Binance chiefs’ prosecution was “no less a strong message in the direction of EFCC’s resolve to hedge in distortions and disruptions in the country’s forex market.”
How Did Anjarwalla Escape?
Binance executives Nadeem Anjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan were detained on February 26 as part of Nigeria’s crackdown on the crypto exchange over Tax evasion. As reported, one of the two detained Binance executives escaped from Nigerian custody last month.
On March 22, Anjarwalla, who holds dual British and Kenyan citizenship, fled the custodian house he and Gambaryan were staying at. At the time, it was presumed that the now-fugitive executive abused his phone privileges to scheme his escape from Abuja.
The executive got access to his Kenyan passport and flew out of Nigeria on a Middle Eastern airline after being taken to a nearby mosque to practice his faith. However, it remained a mystery how Anjarwalla obtained the documentation and escaped from security.
Per the most recent report, the guards in charge of monitoring the executive are now being questioned by special investigators from the military. A “top security source” told the local newspaper that:
The soldiers detailed to monitor Anjarwalla have been detained, as you know, and they’re still being grilled by special investigators drawn from various security and intelligence agencies and services- the military, DSS, NIA, and the police, all hands are on deck, as it is a matter of national security.
At the time of writing, further details of the logistics of the escape and Anjarwalla’s hiding remain unknown to the public. Meanwhile, the other detained Binance executive remains under the EFCC’s custody. Gambaryan awaits his trial this Friday, April 19, after being postponed following his first court appearance.
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