A Binance executive who fled Nigerian custody has reportedly been arrested in Kenya and faces extradition to Nigeria "this week."
According to unnamed Nigerian government sources cited by local publication Punch, Binance regional manager Nadeem Anjarwalla "has been arrested in Kenya, and he’ll be extradited to Nigeria this week."
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the International Criminal Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Kenyan Police Service are reportedly in talks over the question of Anjarwalla's extradition to Nigeria.
Anjarwalla, a British Kenyan, escaped custody in Nigeria in March, using a concealed passport to flee the country.
He and his colleague, Binance's Head of Financial Crime Compliance Tigran Gambaryan, were detained in Nigeria in February after traveling to the country to meet with government officials as part of an investigation into crypto exchanges.
As part of the investigation, Nigeria demanded that Binance hand over information on its top users in the country, as well as their recent transaction history.
Anjarwalla and Gambaryan were detained by the EFCC under a court order for 14 days, without charges being brought. Then Nigerian officials voted to extend the length of their detainment.
On March 22nd, Anjarwalla escaped custody, reportedly after being permitted to visit a local mosque for prayers under guard. Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) filed charges of tax evasion against the Binance execs that same day; a week later the EFCC charged Binance, Anjarwalla and Gambaryan with money laundering to the tune of $34 million.
Gambaryan, an American citizen, remains in Nigeria, where he was jailed ahead of his trial in May. He has sued the Nigerian government for unlawful detention, while his wife Yuki has argued that he is being "held as blackmail."
In a statement, Binance said that discussions between the exchange and Nigerian authorities are "ongoing," adding that Gambaryan has not violated Nigerian law, and that he has "no decision-making power in the company."
Edited by Stacy Elliott.