One of the two executives from Binance detained in Nigeria on allegations of tax evasion and other offenses, Nadeem Anjarwalla, reportedly managed to escape from police custody.
According to Premiumtimes, security sources disclosed that Anjarwalla, aged 38, made his escape on Friday, March 22nd, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were being held, after guards accompanying him allowed him to attend prayers at a nearby mosque, observing the ongoing Ramadan fast.
Anjarwalla, a British citizen with Kenyan citizenship, is said to have departed Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline. It remains uncertain how he managed to board an international flight given that his British passport, which he used to enter Nigeria, remained in the custody of Nigerian authorities.
Efforts are underway to ascertain Anjarwalla’s intended destination in order to apprehend him. An Immigration official stated that the Binance executive fled using a Kenyan passport, although authorities are investigating how he obtained it, as he was not in possession of any other travel document besides his British passport when taken into custody.
Sources revealed that the detained executives were held in a “comfortable guest house” and were afforded various privileges, including access to telephones, which Anjarwalla allegedly exploited to plan his escape.
Zakari Mijinyawa, Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, promised to investigate the escape but has yet to provide any updates.
Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and his colleague Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26, 2024.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order to remand the duo for 14 days, charging them with criminal offenses. The court also instructed Binance to furnish the Nigerian government with data on Nigerian traders using its platform. When Binance refused to comply, the court extended the remand for another 14 days.
On the same day as Anjarwalla’s escape, the Nigerian government filed additional charges against Binance Holdings Limited, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan, accusing them of tax evasion and failure to comply with tax regulations.
The charges include allegations of offering services without proper registration, failure to issue invoices for value-added taxes, failure to deduct necessary taxes from operations, and aiding subscribers in unlawfully avoiding tax payments.
The Nigerian government has intensified efforts against suspected money launderers and terrorism financiers, alleging the exploitation of Binance for criminal activities. It claims that billions of dollars were traded on Binance by Nigerians concealing their identities, contributing to money laundering, terrorist financing, currency speculation, and market manipulation, thereby undermining the Nigerian economy and weakening the Naira.