Police authorities in Kenya have reportedly arrested Nadeem Anjarwalla,an executive of cryptocurrency platform Binance, who fled Nigeria some weeks ago.
Anjarwalla had escaped from custody in Nigeria following the Federal Government’s crackdown on the cryptocurrency platform in a bid to strengthen the naira.
While the Nigerian authorities later traced Anjarwalla to the East African nation, multiple reports say the Binance executive is now in the custody of the Kenyan police.
According to the reports, government sources in Kenya confirmed that the Binance chief is now in the custody of the country’s police.
Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) confirmed Anjarwalla’s escape from custody.
In a statement signed by the head of strategic communication at the ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, the Office said a preliminary investigation showed that he fled Nigeria using “a smuggled passport”.
Anjarwalla allegedly escaped after being brought by the on-duty guards to a nearby mosque for prayers in observance of the recent Ramadan fast.
Since he escaped from Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the International Criminal Police, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Kenyan Police Service have been in talks to extradite Anjarwalla.
In March, the EFCC confirmed plans to extradite the Binance chief in the agency’s bulletin for the month.
“The takeover of the prosecution of Binance chiefs by the commission is no less a strong message in the direction of EFCC’s resolve to hedge in distortions and disruptions in the country’s forex market,” the anti-graft agency’s chief Ola Olukoyede said.