It’s alleged that Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executives held in Nigeria under suspicion of tax evasion and other transgressions, has managed to escape confinement, as per sources.
Two senior executives from Binance were detained by the Federal Government in February.
The apprehension coincided with government endeavors to mitigate speculation on the naira, marked by intensified measures and enforcement actions targeting cryptocurrency platforms.
Binance is facing charges that encompass failure to remit Value-Added Tax and Company Income Tax, failure to submit tax returns, and alleged involvement in facilitating tax evasion among its clientele via its platform.
Anjarwalla reportedly fled from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained, as per the report.
He was said to have escaped after some guards on duty escorted him to a nearby mosque for prayers.
The British national, who also holds Kenyan citizenship, is suspected to have departed Abuja via a Middle East airline.
How Anjarwalla boarded an international flight despite his British passport, which he used to enter Nigeria, being held by Nigerian authorities remains unclear.
Read also: FG Initiates Legal Action For Tax Evasion Against Binance
Africa Today, News New, learned that authorities are also working to unravel his intended destination to get him back into custody.
According to an Immigration official, the Binance executive allegedly left Nigeria using a passport from Kenya.
Authorities are reportedly working to unravel the circumstances surrounding how he obtained the passport, particularly since he had no other travel documents aside from his British passport when apprehended.
According to a different source familiar with the situation, the two officials were held in a comfortable guest house and were granted various privileges, including access to telephones. Anjarwalla is thought to have utilized this opportunity to carefully plan his escape.
When contacted on Sunday night, Zakari Mijinyawa, the Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, declined to confirm the incident.
Although he promised to investigate and revert, Mijinyawa has not yet provided any updates as of the time this report was finalized.