Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla’s recent escape from custody in Nigeria has led to a legal battle for his extradition back to the country. Anjarwalla was discovered in Kenya, where the Nigerian government, in collaboration with Interpol and Kenyan authorities, is working on bringing him back to face charges related to the alleged manipulation of the Naira and illicit funds transactions through Binance.
Anjarwalla reportedly escaped from Nigeria by boarding a Middle Eastern airline from Abuja, using a Kenyan passport despite his U.K. passport being held by Nigerian authorities. This has raised questions about the acquisition of the Kenyan passport and has led to ongoing investigations involving multiple agencies such as the police, the military, the Department of State Services, and the National Intelligence Agency.
Meanwhile, another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, remains in custody in Nigeria awaiting further legal proceedings. Gambaryan has pleaded not guilty, and his wife has initiated a petition to bring him back to the United States. Binance has argued that Gambaryan held no decision-making power in the company to secure his release. Gambaryan’s defense attorney stated that he could not enter a plea until Binance, the primary defendant, had been served according to Nigerian law.
On March 5, Binance suspended all naira transactions, effectively leaving the Nigerian market. The exchange also removed all naira trading pairs from its peer-to-peer platform in response to the Nigerian government’s crackdown on suspected money laundering activities, particularly targeting individuals allegedly using Binance for illicit purposes. Cryptocurrency platforms like Binance had become popular for trading the Nigerian naira currency amidst the country’s challenges with chronic dollar shortages.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took over the investigation and brought charges against Binance Holdings Limited, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, had previously expressed concerns about crypto exchanges facilitating illicit transactions amounting to over $21.6 billion in the country. Nigeria pointed fingers at Binance for exacerbating its currency woes, leading to the legal troubles faced by its executives in the country.
By closely examining the legal challenges faced by Binance executives connected to Nigeria, we can see the complexities of international legal proceedings and the implications of allegations of financial manipulation and illicit transactions.