The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has disclosed that security agencies are currently working with the International Police (Interpol) to nab fleeing Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla. ONSA confirmed the escape of Anjarwalla, the suspect in the ongoing criminal probe into the activities of Binance, a cryptocurrency company from lawful custody. It said those responsible for Anjarwalla’s custody had been arrested. Furthermore, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) announced that it had initiated criminal proceedings against the embattled cryptocurrency exchange platform.
The global cryptocurrency exchange company said it was cooperating with the Nigerian authorities to quickly resolve the current issue. The NSA, in a statement, said a preliminary investigation showed that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport. The statement by the Head, of the Strategic Communication Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, stated, “The personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect have been arrested, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape from lawful detention.” The Federal Government had been investigating money laundering and terrorism financing transactions perpetrated on the Binance currency exchange platform. Anjarwalla and his American colleague were detained for, allegedly, using their company to engage in activities deliberately aimed at damaging the naira. Until his escape, Anjarwalla, who held British and Kenyan nationalities, and served as Binance’s Africa regional manager, was being tried by Nigerian courts. The suspect escaped while under a 14-day remand order by a court in Nigeria.
