Nadeem Anjarwalla, an executive of cryptocurrency platform Binance, has reportedly fled from custody, as announced by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
The NSA Office, in a statement by its spokesman Zakari Mijinyawa on Monday, confirmed Anjarwalla’s escape, stating that he is a suspect in the Federal Government’s investigation into Binance’s activities in Nigeria.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser confirms that Nadeem Anjarwalla, a suspect in the ongoing criminal probe into the activities of Binance in Nigeria, has escaped from lawful custody on Friday, 22 March 2024,” the NSA Office said.
Following the report of his escape, the NSA Office, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, government departments, and the international community, initiated immediate efforts to apprehend the suspect.
“Preliminary investigation shows that Mr. Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport,” it said. “The personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect have been arrested, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape from lawful detention.”
Anjarwalla, who holds British and Kenyan citizenship and serves as Binance’s Africa Regional Manager, was undergoing trial in Nigerian courts before his escape. He had been placed under a 14-day remand order by a court and was scheduled to appear before it again on April 4, 2024.
His escape comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Nigerian authorities and the cryptocurrency platform. Anjarwalla was among the Binance executives arrested in connection with the dispute.
The Federal Government’s intensified crackdown on suspected money launderers and currency speculators, coupled with recent tax evasion charges filed against Binance by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, further underscores the tensions between Nigeria and the cryptocurrency platform.
