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- Nigeria tracks Binance executive to Kenya, seeks extradition.
- Interpol, Kenyan police collaborate with Nigeria on the case.
- Binance plans to halt all naira transactions in Nigeria
The Nigerian government has tracked down Binance executive Nadeem Arjarwalla to Kenya after his escape from custody and is now taking steps for his extradition. According to the local media outlet Punch, presidential sources revealed that Arjarwalla hid as soon as he arrived in Kenya, but his identity was later exposed. Kenya’s attempt to extradite the Binance executive could open a new chapter in the process.
contents
1, Unrest continues in Nigeria
2, What happened in the process?
Unrest Continues in Nigeria
The Nigerian government is collaborating with international security organizations, including Interpol and the Kenyan police, to extradite Arjarwalla back to the country to face charges. Arjarwalla, along with Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla, arrived in Nigeria in February amid allegations of manipulating the country’s fiat currency, the naira. Following a meeting with the Nigerian government regarding Binance’s regulatory issues, Arjarwalla and another Binance executive were detained.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took over the investigation from the National Security Adviser (NSA) and accused the exchange and its executives of five charges related to money laundering. Anjarwalla reportedly escaped custody on March 22 and boarded a plane from the capital, Abuja.
It was reported that Anjarwalla flew from Abuja with an airline based in the Middle East, although it remains unclear how he managed to board the international flight since his British passport, used to enter Nigeria, was under the supervision of Nigerian authorities.
What Happened in the Process?
An immigration official revealed that the Binance executive escaped from Nigeria to Kenya using a Kenyan passport. Authorities are now investigating how Anjarwalla obtained this passport while in custody without any other travel documents. While Arjarwalla remains abroad, Gambaryan, along with his wife and supporters, called for his release after being detained for several weeks, denying the charges. Gambaryan’s wife initiated a petition to bring him back to the USA, which garnered 3,373 signatures at the time of publication. However, Gambaryan’s case has been postponed to April 19.
Meanwhile, Binance announced on March 5 its intention to halt all naira transactions and withdraw from the Nigerian market for its users. The exchange also delisted all NGN trading pairs from its peer-to-peer platform at the end of February.
On February 27, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria claimed that crypto exchanges in Nigeria were suspected of engaging in illegal transactions, citing suspicious fund flows on Binance.