EXCLUSIVE: Detained Binance executive escapes from custody in Nigeria

Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, has escaped from lawful custody, those familiar with the matter have told TrackNews.

Sources revealed that Mr. Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on Friday, 22 March, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers during the ongoing Ramadan fast.

The British national with Kenyan citizenship is believed to have left Abuja using a Middle East airliner.

It remains unclear how Mr. Anjarwalla managed to board an international flight despite his British passport, which he used to enter Nigeria, remaining in the custody of Nigerian authorities.

READ ALSO: Wives of detained Binance executives send crucial message to Nigerian govt

Authorities are working to determine his intended destination in an effort to bring him back into custody.

An Immigration official stated that the Binance executive fled Nigeria using a Kenyan passport. However, authorities are investigating how he obtained the passport, as he had no other travel document apart from the British passport when taken into custody.

The two officials were held at a comfortable guest house with certain privileges, including the use of telephones, which Mr. Anjarwalla is believed to have used to plan his escape.

When contacted about the escape, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said he would inquire and provide further information but had not done so at the time of this report.

Mr. Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on 26 February 2024.

A criminal charge was filed against the two executives before a Magistrate Court in Abuja. The court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand them for 14 days. The court also directed Binance to provide the Nigerian government with data/information on Nigerians trading on its platform.

Due to Binance’s non-compliance, the court extended the remand for an additional 14 days to prevent tampering with evidence and adjourned the case until 4 April 2024.

READ ALSO: Wives of detained Binance executives send crucial message to Nigerian govt

On 22 March, the Nigerian government brought another four-count charge against Binance Holdings Limited, Mr. Anjarwalla, and Mr. Gambaryan, accusing them of tax-related offences.

The government alleged that over $21.6 billion was traded by Nigerians on Binance, with identities concealed, and that the platform was being used for money laundering, terrorist financing, and market manipulation.

The detention of Binance officials in Nigeria came after the platform pleaded guilty and agreed to settle criminal money laundering charges with the US Department of Justice. Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, pleaded guilty and agreed to resign, with his trial postponed to 30 April by a US court.