One of the two executives of cryptocurrency trading platform Binance arrested for alleged tax evasion and other offences, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has escaped from custody in Abuja.
The Star recalls that security operatives arrested two Binance executives in Abuja on February 28, 2024.
The executives were said to have flown to Nigeria following the country’s decision to ban several cryptocurrency trading websites but they were arrested by the officials at the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
It was however gathered that Anjarwalla, on Friday, March 22, escaped from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were being held.
He was said to have escaped after some guards on duty escorted him to a nearby mosque for prayers.
The British national, who also holds Kenyan citizenship, is suspected to have departed Abuja via a Middle East airline, according to Premium Times.
FG files tax evasion charges against Binance
How Anjarwalla boarded an international flight despite his British passport, which he used to enter Nigeria, being held by Nigerian authorities however remains unclear.
It was further learnt that authorities have started working to unravel Anjarwalla’s intended destination to get him back into custody.
An Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport.
The official disclosed that the authorities are working on unravelling how he obtained the passport, given the fact that he had no other travel document (apart from the British passport) on him when he was arrested.
According to another insider, the two officials were detained in a “pleasant guest house” and granted numerous privileges, such as access to telephones. Anjarwalla is suspected to have taken advantage of this opportunity to plan his escape.
The incident was confirmed by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The ONSA noted that the personnel responsible for the custody of Anjarwalla have been arrested, adding that a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape from detention.
The latest development comes as the Federal Government initiated criminal proceedings against Binance.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, were announced on Monday, March 25, by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The lawsuit, designated as suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, implicates Binance with a four-count tax evasion accusation.
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