Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offenses, reportedly escaped from police custody on March 22nd.
According to Premiumtimes, the 38-year-old fled from the Abuja guest house where they were held after being escorted to a nearby mosque for Ramadan prayers.
Anjarwalla, a Briton with Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have left Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline.
Despite Nigerian authorities holding his British passport, it's unclear how he managed to board an international flight.
Authorities are working to determine his destination to bring him back into custody.
An Immigration official stated that Anjarwalla fled using a Kenyan passport, but they are investigating how he acquired it, as he had no other travel documents besides his British passport when detained.
The two officials, Mr. Anjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan, detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26, 2024, were held at a "comfortable guest house," enjoying various privileges including access to telephones, which Mr. Anjarwalla allegedly exploited to plan an escape.
Upon inquiry regarding the escape of the Binance executive from detention, Zakari Mijinyawa, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, promised to revert but has yet to do so as of the time of this report.
Initially detained and granted a 14-day remand by a Magistrate Court in Abuja on February 28, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a criminal charge against the executives. The court also ordered Binance to provide Nigerian trading data.
Due to Binance's non-compliance with the court's order, the officials' remand was extended for another 14 days. The case was adjourned until April 4, 2024.
Additionally, on March 22, the Nigerian government brought another four-count charge against Binance Holdings Limited, Mr. Anjarwalla, and Mr. Gambaryan at the Federal High Court in Abuja. They were accused of various tax-related offenses under Nigerian law.
In the last three months, the Nigerian government has intensified efforts to combat suspected money laundering and terrorism financing activities, targeting individuals allegedly utilizing the Binance platform for illicit purposes.
The government disclosed that over $21.6 billion was traded by Nigerians on Binance, with their identities concealed.
Moreover, investigations have uncovered the exploitation of Binance for money laundering, terrorist financing, currency speculation, and market manipulation, exacerbating distortions in the Nigerian economy and contributing to the weakening of the Naira against other currencies.