Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, has escaped from custody.
According to Premium Times, the 38-year-old, holding both British and Kenyan citizenship, fled from an Abuja guest house on March 22, 2024.
It was said that guards accompanying him for prayers during Ramadan purportedly facilitated his escape.
Anjarwalla is believed to have departed Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline. Despite his British passport being held by Nigerian authorities upon entry, he allegedly used a Kenyan passport to leave the country.
Authorities are investigating his escape and attempting to ascertain his destination for recapture.
An Immigration official disclosed that Anjarwalla fled on a Kenyan passport, raising questions about how he acquired it without any other travel documents.
Sources suggest that Anjarwalla and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, enjoyed relative freedom at the guest house, including access to phones, which Anjarwalla may have exploited to plan his escape.
Anjarwalla and Gambaryan were detained upon arrival in Nigeria on February 26, 2024, and a Magistrate Court in Abuja granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a 14-day remand order on February 28.
The court directed Binance to provide Nigerian authorities with data on platform users, which Binance reportedly declined, resulting in a 14-day extension of the executives’ remand. The case was adjourned until April 4, 2024.
Furthermore, on March 22, the Nigerian government filed a four-count charge against Binance Holdings Limited, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan, accusing them of tax-related offenses under the Value Added Tax Act of 1993.
The government alleges that Binance failed to register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service and issue invoices to subscribers, constituting violations of tax regulations.
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