The Vice-President of the International Criminal Police Organisation for Africa, Garba Umar, has said that Interpol was immediately notified of Nadeem Anjarwalla’s escape and coordinated efforts were made to locate him in 196 countries.
This disclosure was made by Umar on Channels TV on Tuesday.
Umar outlined the process of extradition in detail, emphasising the importance of cooperation between police authorities from around the world to ensure that fugitives are held accountable.
He assured me that all the paperwork had been completed and there were active investigations ongoing by law enforcement agencies.
“As soon as Nadeem Anjarwalla escaped, Interpol was officially informed. We went into action to gather all the data and information about him and share it among the 196 countries. We were able to track his movements, know where he was going, and eventually, he landed in a particular country. We are now doing everything possible to ensure that the country complies with Interpol’s rules of international police cooperation by initiating the extradition process to bring him back to face justice in Nigeria.
“Don’t forget, as soon as this individual escaped, there was a massive manhunt for him. We contacted many countries where we believed he might have boarded a plane or traveled by road to another location. We obtained certain information that I cannot share on this platform. Rest assured, we located his whereabouts, and how he traveled, and gathered all the necessary information to prevent his escape from justice.
“For every country, there is a law. If a fugitive escapes, there are processes which that country follows up on. Interpol will only provide information to assist that country, informing them about the bilateral agreements, the MOU, and the signed conventions for extraditing a fleeing fugitive. The process is ongoing.
“Nadeem is not an exception, and rest assured, we have all the cooperation, and we are working on it. And one day, he will be brought to justice. It is just a matter of time. We have completed all the paperwork. All the law enforcement agencies have completed the paperwork and handed it over to Interpol, which is working on it,” the Vice President said.
Recall that Anjarwalla was arrested by the National Security Adviser’s Office upon arrival in March on suspicion of alleged illicit currency fraud causing depreciation of the naira.
