KOREDE FOGO
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has confirmed the escape of Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Binance regional manager for Africa, from lawful custody.
A statement by Head of strategic communication at ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, on Monday, said “preliminary investigation shows that Mr Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.”
“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,” the statement said.
Recall that earlier reported the development quoting an online newspaper. Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on Friday, March 22, 2024, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the ongoing Ramadan fast.
Also, on Monday, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) announced that it has filed a four-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja bordering on tax evasion against Binance and its two executives, one of which is Anjarwalla.
Recall that Nuhu Ribadu detained two executives of the Binance crypto exchange platform and confiscated their international passports last month.
They were detained in Abuja on an invitation from the federal government, following the report of the alleged manipulation of foreign exchange trading in Nigeria undermining the naira.
Binance faces charges of alleged non-payment of Value-Added Tax (VAT) and company income tax, failure to submit tax returns and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform.
The identities of two senior executives of crypto arrested were revealed later to be a US citizen, Tigran Gambaryan and British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla.
Niger