Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the Binance executives under scrutiny for alleged tax evasion and other offenses in Nigeria, reportedly escaped from custody, according to Premium Times.
Anjarwalla, aged 38, managed to flee on March 22 from the guest house in Abuja where he and his colleague were being held. Sources indicate that guards on duty escorted him to a nearby mosque for prayers during Ramadan, providing him with an opportunity to escape.
The British national, who also holds Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have left Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline. It remains unclear how he managed to board an international flight without his British passport, which was reportedly in the custody of Nigerian authorities.
Authorities are currently working to determine Anjarwalla’s intended destination and apprehend him.
Reports suggest that Anjarwalla fled using a Kenyan passport, raising questions about how he acquired it, as he was not in possession of any other travel documents apart from his British passport when detained.
The escape comes amidst mounting legal troubles for Binance executives in Nigeria. Anjarwalla and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26, 2024, and faced charges related to tax evasion.
The Nigerian government accused Binance of operating without proper registration and failing to pay relevant taxes. The government alleges that Binance facilitated over $21.6 billion in trades by Nigerian users, concealing their identities and enabling illicit activities such as money laundering and terrorism financing.
The crackdown on Binance follows the platform’s settlement with the US Department of Justice, where it agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines for money laundering charges. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, pleaded guilty and agreed to step down as CEO.