The Nigerian Central Bureau of Interpol has completed the necessary extradition paperwork for Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance Holdings executive involved in legal issues. Anjarwalla fled Nigeria after being charged with money laundering and tax evasion and was last seen in Kenya. According to Garba Umar, head of the Nigerian NCB, efforts are ongoing to serve a Red Notice to bring Anjarwalla back to Nigeria for trial.
Umar disclosed on the local “Sunrise Daily” program that while Anjarwalla’s exact location isn’t confirmed, the last known location was Kenya.
Incident Details and Binance’s Withdrawal from Nigeria
Anjarwalla escaped from Nigeria on March 22, despite his travel documents being held by Nigerian authorities, which has raised questions regarding the oversight of his departure. Meanwhile, Tigran Gambaryan, Anjarwalla’s colleague who was arrested on similar charges, pleaded not guilty and is detained awaiting his next bail hearing on May 17. Gambaryan’s situation has prompted a petition for his release, which has amassed over 4,000 signatures to date.
Subsequently, Binance announced a withdrawal from the Nigerian market following allegations from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor about the platform’s involvement in illicit transactions. As a result, Binance ceased all transactions in Nigerian naira and removed all naira trading pairs from its peer-to-peer trading platform in late February. This decision marks a significant retreat from one of Africa’s largest cryptocurrency markets.
Legal Proceedings and Regulatory Actions
The charges against Anjarwalla have led to a coordinated international response to apprehend and return him to Nigeria. The ongoing case reflects Interpol’s increased involvement in addressing cross-border financial crimes. This incident is part of broader enforcement actions targeting compliance and regulatory adherence within the cryptocurrency industry.