The Federal Government and the International Criminal Police Organisation have commenced extraditing a Binance chief, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped detention in Nigeria on March 22.
Security agencies had arrested Anjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan, two executives of the crypto-currency firm Binance Holdings Limited, over alleged money laundering in February.
They were detained in ‘a safe house’ in Abuja on the order of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Among other charges, the firm and the two executives were arraigned for $35,400,000 in money laundering at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
But on Friday, March 22, Anjarwalla escaped detention and left the country using a Kenyan passport.
On Tuesday, top government sources confirmed to Bellnews that extraditing the fugitive had begun.
The sources noted that Anjarwalla’s absence would not affect the arraignment of Binance, Tigran and Gambaryan in court on Thursday over a five-count money laundering charge.
“Mr Anjarwalla’s extradition process has begun. The Federal Government is working as did with INTERPOL to extradite the fugitive to Nigeria. He’s a fugitive that escaped from lawful custody, and his other partner is still in custody and would be arraigned on Thursday alongside their company, Binance,” a source noted.
Another source revealed, “It is true that the Federal Government has commenced the process of extraditing Binance’ Anjarwalla in order to bring him back to Nigeria to answer to his money laundering case in court, among others. The arraignment of Binance and Gambaryan in court on Thursday will also aid Anjarwalla’s extradition.”
Meanwhile, a top security source said the soldiers detailed to monitor Anjarwalla were being grilled by special investigators from the military, Department of State Services, the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Intelligence Agency.
His words: “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.”