In a dramatic turn of events, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a key executive at Binance, has reportedly escaped from lawful custody in Nigeria, following the imposition of criminal charges against him, Tigran Gambaryan, and Binance by the Nigerian government.
Anjarwalla, 38, who holds British and Kenyan citizenship, is said to have fled on March 22nd, using a Middle Eastern airline, raising questions about airport security and passport controls.
The escape comes amidst a legal saga involving the detention of Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, who were apprehended upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26th, 2024. The Nigerian government has accused them of tax evasion and other offenses related to their operations at Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange platform.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the duo was held at a guest house in Abuja, where they were afforded certain privileges, including the use of telephones. It is believed that Anjarwalla exploited this access to orchestrate his escape, leaving authorities scrambling to determine his whereabouts and how he obtained a Kenyan passport to facilitate his flight.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has intensified its legal pursuit of Binance and its executives, filing additional charges against them at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The charges allege various tax-related offenses and accuse the defendants of facilitating criminal activities, including money laundering and terrorist financing, through the Binance platform.
These developments come in the wake of Binance’s recent settlement with the US Department of Justice, wherein the company agreed to pay $4.3 billion to resolve money laundering charges. Founder and CEO, Changpeng Zhao, pleaded guilty and agreed to step down, with his trial postponed to April 30th.
As the Nigerian government seeks to apprehend Anjarwalla and unravel the complexities of the case, the global cryptocurrency community watches closely, amid concerns over regulatory scrutiny and the future of digital asset platforms.
