While Africa has seen its fair share of sluggish extradition processes, with cases languishing for years in legal limbo, the unfolding saga of Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance executive who escaped custody in Nigeria and fled to Kenya using a smuggled passport, has taken a surprisingly swift turn.
A short-lived escape: One week after Nigeria asked Kenya to arrest and extradite Anjarwalla, the Kenyan police, in collaboration with Nigerian authorities and Interpol, have reportedly arrested Anjarwalla with plans to expedite his extradition back to Nigeria within the week.
Anjarwalla’s story began in February when Nigerian authorities detained him and another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, on suspicion of tax evasion.
Nigerian authorities seized their travel documents, which marked the beginning of a tumultuous series of events that would ultimately see Anjarwalla escaping the country to Kenya on March 25, leaving Gambaryan behind to face money laundering charges.
Zoom out: Binance and its executives face charges in Nigeria for tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering of an alleged $35.4 million. One executive, Gambaryan, pleaded not guilty and applied for bail but it was denied due to Anjarwalla’s escape. Gambaryan’s bail hearing was reportedly rescheduled for yesterday, April 22, but it is unclear at this point what the verdict is.