Kenya extradites Ivorian ex-UN staffer wanted in US over firearms smuggling plot
The DPP said Bile Jean Philippe Assemian, a former UN staff member, conspired with accomplices to buy firearms in the US—mainly in Ohio and Maryland—intending to illegally export them to Côte d’Ivoire.
An Ivorian national wanted in the United States for conspiracy to smuggle firearms has been extradited after successful proceedings in Kenya.
According to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Bile Jean Philippe Assemian, a former United Nations staff member, conspired with accomplices between October and November 2018 to buy firearms in the US—mainly in Ohio and Maryland—intending to illegally export them to Côte d’Ivoire.
On May 28, 2025, a Grand Jury in the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, indicted him, leading to the issuance of an INTERPOL Red Notice that listed him as a fugitive wanted for prosecution.
Following his arrest at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on arrival from Mogadishu, Somalia, the US government formally requested his extradition. The DPP, through the Central Authority under the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice, received this request on July 24.
Served in Somalia
Assemian, an Ivorian national, had previously served at the United Nations Support Office in Mogadishu, Somalia.
"On diverse dates between November 2018 and October 2020, the respondent herein, together with his co-defendant Koffi Andrea Versaint Taregue and other individuals, conspired to purchase firearms designated as defence articles within the United States, primarily in the States of Ohio and Maryland, with the intent to illegally export the said firearms to Côte d'Ivoire," the court heard.
The two allegedly concealed the firearms and parts in large blue plastic barrels hidden among household goods. They then delivered the shipments to an export company in the United States without declaring the contents or obtaining the required licences.
Extradition hearings began in Nairobi on July 25, and on September 3, the Nairobi Chief Magistrate’s Court ordered Assemian’s extradition, clearing the way for his handover to US authorities.
"This extradition underscores Kenya's commitment to honouring international legal obligations and strengthening cooperation with global partners in the fight against transnational crime," the ODPP said on Thursday.
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