KEY POINTS
- Anjarwalla allegedly escaped from Nigerian custody late in March after being held for a month
- Tigran Gambaryan remains in Nigerian custody since his detainment alongside Anjarwalla on Feb. 26
- Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were not charged with any crimes until Anjarwalla fled Nigeria
Nigeria has caught up to "fleeing" Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla, who, alongside another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, was detained in the country amid allegations that the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume was involved in currency speculation, money laundering, and other charges.
Anjarwalla, Binance's Africa regional manager, was traced by Nigerian authorities in Kenya, local Punch reported Saturday, citing unnamed sources. The report revealed that Anjarwalla, who fled Nigeria late last month from the Abuja government guest house, immediately went into hiding after he escaped and arrived in Kenya.
"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," one source said. "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," another source said.
The outlet previously reported that the Nigerian government had already started the process of extraditing Anjarwalla.
Binance did not immediately respond to International Business Times' request for comment.
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were detained in Nigeria on Feb. 26. The executives were not charged with any crimes at the time, but the government previously accused Binance of being a bane to the Nigerian naira, which has lost nearly 70% of its value to the U.S. dollar over the past year.
A Binance spokesperson confirmed to IBT in mid-March that the crypto exchange giant was "working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to bring Nadeem and Tigran back home safely to their families."
After Anjarwalla fled Nigeria to Kenya, Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) formally lodged complaints against the two Binance executives at the Federal High Court in Abuja, as per multiple local outlets. Among the charges Gambarya and Anjarwalla reportedly face is complicity in aiding tax evasion through Binance's exchange services.
Gambaryan, Binance's head of compliance, has since filed legal action against the Nigerian Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the agency of violating his basic human rights when he was detained against his will.
Gambaryan's wife, Yuki, has launched a petition to call for her husband's release from Nigerian custody. "The Nigerian authorities continue to refuse to allow him to leave the country as they work-up bogus charges, and the conditions of his detention have worsened significantly," she said in the petition. She added that the Nigerian government "never explained" why Gambaryan was being investigated.
#Binance respectfully requests that Tigran Gambaryan, who has no decision-making power in the company, is not held responsible while current discussions are ongoing between Binance and Nigerian government officials.#BringTigranHome
— Binance (@binance) April 3, 2024
Read more 👇https://t.co/tE3GPN6VOZ
Binance said in a statement earlier this month that Gambaryan "has no decision-making power in the company" and thus cannot be held responsible amid ongoing talks between the crypto titan and Nigerian officials.
