Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executives being held in Nigeria on charges of tax evasion and other offenses, has allegedly fled from detention.
The Federal Government detained the top two Binance executives into custody in February.
The arrest occurred during government efforts to suppress naira speculation by targeting cryptocurrency exchanges.
Binance is accused of not paying Value-Added Tax, Company Income Tax, not filing tax reports, and of conspiring to help users of its platform avoid paying taxes.
Anjarwalla reportedly broke free from the guest home in Abuja on Friday, where he and his colleague were being detained. It was said that he made an escape after being escorted to a neighboring mosque for prayers by few guards on duty.
It is unknown how Anjarwalla boarded international flight while Nigerian authorities were holding his British passport which he used to enter Nigeria. According to a source, In an effort to reclaim him, officials are also investigating his destination.
According to an immigration official, the Binance executive used a Kenyan passport to leave Nigeria. Given that he was only carrying his British passport when he was detained, the official revealed that the authorities are investigating how he was able to obtain the passport.
An additional insider claims that the two officials were held in a “appealing guest house” and given many amenities, including phones. It is believed that Anjarwalla used this chance to organize his escape.
When reached on Sunday night, Zakari Mijinyawa, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, was unable verify the matter.
Mijinyawa requested to investigate and respond. But as of the time this report was filed, he has not done so yet.
