A Binance executive detained by Nigerian authorities allegedly utilized a forged passport to evade custody, as reported by a local publication, citing sources familiar with the situation.
This development emerges amidst other reports indicating that the Nigerian government has levied criminal charges against the exchange for alleged tax evasion. These charges were reportedly filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, according to local media outlets.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance executive, along with his colleague Tigran Gambaryan, had been held in detention at a hotel in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, for several weeks. However, Anjarwalla purportedly absconded from custody on Friday, March 22, after being escorted to a nearby mosque for prayers. He allegedly departed from Abuja on a Middle East Airlines flight. However, the circumstances surrounding his boarding of the international flight remain unclear, given that his British passport, the document he used to enter Nigeria, is still in possession of Nigerian authorities.
Reportedly, Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a Kenyan passport, prompting authorities to investigate how he acquired the passport since he lacked other travel documents while in detention, according to an immigration official.
During their time in detention, the detained individuals were reportedly granted certain privileges, including access to mobile phones.
Anjarwalla, serving as Binance’s regional manager for Africa, and Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen overseeing Binance’s criminal investigations team, were apprehended upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26. A spokesperson for Binance informed that they have been apprised of Anjarwalla's release from Nigerian custody and stated that their primary focus remains ensuring the safety of their employees, while also collaborating with Nigerian authorities to swiftly address the situation.
The detention of the individuals ensued subsequent to the filing of a criminal complaint against them at the Abuja Magistrate Court.
