Nigeria has officially requested Kenya’s assistance in detaining and extraditing Nadeem Anjarwalla, a senior executive at Binance, who managed to evade authorities in Nigeria after being accused of tax evasion. This request was confirmed by sources cited in the Daily Post.
According to information obtained from a detective within Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the case, the DCI has indeed received the extradition request regarding Nadeem Anjarwalla.
However, as of now, no action has been taken by the Kenyan authorities in response to this request. The detective elaborated that apprehending Anjarwalla isn’t as straightforward as it might seem, particularly given the influential status of the Anjarwalla family and their connections.
Nadeem Anjarwalla comes from a prominent background; he is the son of Atiq Anjarwalla, a senior partner at Anjarwalla & Khanna Advocates, one of the largest commercial law firms in East Africa, representing numerous top companies and high-net-worth individuals in the region.
The legal saga involving Nadeem began when he and his colleague, Tigran Gambrayan, were arrested on February 26 upon their arrival in Nigeria. They had traveled there to discuss the Nigerian government’s decision to block activities involving Binance.
While Gambrayan remains in custody, maintaining his innocence regarding charges of money laundering, Anjarwalla managed to escape from the guest house in Abuja where he was being held and fled back to Kenya before facing charges.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) of Nigeria has accused Anjarwalla, along with another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, of failing to register the cryptocurrency exchange for tax purposes. FIRS alleges that Binance failed to deduct Value Added Tax (VAT) and facilitated tax evasion by its users. Both Binance and its executives have vehemently denied these allegations.
The process of extraditing Anjarwalla back to Nigeria is expected to be protracted and legally complex. Cooperation between law enforcement agencies, including Interpol, is limited by legal frameworks.
While Nigeria may seek Interpol’s assistance through a red notice, Kenya’s extradition laws necessitate a formal arrest warrant issued by a Nigerian court, which must then be processed through Kenya’s legal system. This process, involving court approvals and potential appeals, could extend over a considerable period, possibly lasting months or even years.
A notable precedent illustrating the prolonged nature of extradition proceedings is the case involving former minister Chris Okemo and ex-Kenya Power CEO Samuel Gichuru. They have been sought for extradition to face charges of money laundering and fraud in Jersey Island since 2011, yet the legal process remains ongoing without resolution.
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