The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been granted an interim order by a Federal High Court in Abuja to obtain all data or information relating to Nigerian traders on Binance Holdings Limited’s platform. Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order following the ruling on the ex-parte motion moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho. The judge ordered Binance to provide the commission with comprehensive data/information relating to all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform. The aim of the interim order is to help the anti-graft agency unravel the alleged money laundering and terrorism financing on Binance, a crypto currency exchange platform. The ruling was delivered on February 29, and a certified true copy of it was sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday. The ex-parte motion was brought pursuant to Sections 6(b), (h), (I), 7(1), (a)(2), and 38 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Establishment Act, 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 (as amended) and the inherent powers of the court. Hamma Bello, an operative of the EFCC, deposed to an affidavit in support of the motion and stated that he was attached to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the commission domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The team conducted surveillance of the platform and uncovered users who have been using the platform for price discovery, confirmation and market manipulation which has caused tremendous distortions in the market, resulting in the Naira losing its values against other currencies. Bello said that the data provided would enable the commission to accomplish its investigation activities. Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange that lists more than 350 cryptocurrencies globally.
A court has directed Binance to provide the EFCC with data concerning Nigerian traders on its platform.
