One of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has escaped from lawful custody.
As stated by Premium Times, Anjarwalla, 38, escaped last Friday, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained.
The Briton, who also has Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have flown out of Abuja using a Middle East airliner after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the ongoing Ramadan.
An Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport.
He, however, said authorities were trying to determine how he obtained the passport, given that he had no other travel document (apart from the British passport) on him when he was taken into custody.
Another source said the two officials were held at a “comfortable guest house” and allowed many rights, including the use of telephones, a privilege Anjarwalla exploited to plot an escape.
Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, when contacted Sunday night on the escape of the Binance executive from detention, said he would enquire and revert.
It remains unclear how Anjarwalla got on an international flight despite his British passport, with which he entered Nigeria, remaining in the custody of the Nigerian authorities.
Authorities are also said to be working to unravel his intended destination in a bid to get him back into custody.
Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and Tigran Gambaryan, a United States citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on 26 February 2024.
A criminal charge was filed against the two executives before a Magistrate Court in Abuja.
On 28 February 2024, the court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand the duo for 14 days.
The court also ordered Binance to provide the Nigerian government with the data/information of Nigerians trading on its platform.
Following Binance’s refusal to comply with the order, the court extended the remand of the officials for an additional 14 days to prevent them from tampering with evidence. The court then adjourned the case till 4 April 2024.
