Insecurity in Nigeria intensifies as Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the detained Binance executives, reportedly flees from custody, raising concerns over the efficacy of law enforcement in the country.
Anjarwalla, along with his colleague, was detained by the Federal Government in February on charges including tax evasion.
The arrest occurred amidst the government’s efforts to curb speculation on the naira by clamping down on cryptocurrency exchanges. Binance, a prominent platform, faced accusations ranging from non-payment of taxes to aiding customers in tax evasion through its services.
According to Premium Times, Anjarwalla purportedly fled from the Abuja guest house where they were being held, with his escape coinciding with a visit to a nearby mosque for prayers, under the guard of duty personnel. The British national, who also holds Kenyan citizenship, allegedly departed Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline.
Questions loom over how Anjarwalla managed to board an international flight with his British passport held by Nigerian authorities. Authorities are actively investigating his escape and tracing his intended destination to bring him back into custody.
Reports suggest Anjarwalla may have utilized a Kenyan passport to flee, raising further queries on how he acquired it, considering he possessed no other travel document besides his British passport at the time of his arrest.
Insiders reveal that the detained executives enjoyed privileges, including access to telephones, during their stay at a comfortable guest house, potentially facilitating Anjarwalla’s escape plan.
Zakari Mijinyawa, Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, could not verify the incident when reached for comment. Despite assurances of further inquiry, no response has been received from Mijinyawa as of the time of reporting.
