Nadeem Anjarwalla, an executive of cryptocurrency platform Binance, has escaped from lawful custody, according to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
He is a suspect in the Federal Government’s ongoing probe into Binance activities in Nigeria. But he escaped from custody on Friday, the NSA office said in a Monday statement by its spokesman Zakari Mijinyawa.
Global cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance on Monday said it is collaborating with local authorities in Nigeria to ensure the safety of its employees and resolve all lingering issues with the Nigerian government.
Earlier on Monday, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion and other offences, escaped from lawful custody, according to those familiar with the matter.
Our sources said 38-year-old Mr Anjarwalla escaped on Friday, 23 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 in the spirit of the ongoing Ramadan fast.
The Briton, who also has Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have flown out of Abuja using a Middle East airliner.
Authorities are also said to be working to unravel his intended destination in a bid to get him back into custody.
An Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport. He, however, said authorities were trying to determine how he obtained the passport, given that he had no other travel document (apart from the British passport) on him when he was taken into custody.
Another source said the two officials were held at a “comfortable guest house” and allowed many rights, including the use of telephones, a privilege Mr Anjarwalla is believed to have exploited to plot an escape.
In an email exchange with PREMIUM TIMES Monday morning, the crypto exchange platform disclosed that it was informed that Mr Anjarwalla was no longer in Nigerian custody. When asked about specific details of his whereabouts, Binance said it is primarily concerned about the safety of its employees.
“We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody. Our primary focus remains on the safety of our employees and we are working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to quickly resolve this issue,” a Binance spokesperson said.
As of press time Monday afternoon, it remains unclear how Mr Anjarwalla got on an international flight despite his British passport, with which he entered Nigeria, remaining in the custody of the Nigerian authorities according to sources familiar with the matter.
When contacted Sunday night on the escape of the Binance executive from detention, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said he would enquire and revert. He has yet to do so as of the time of filing 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.
