Binance, the global cryptocurrency exchange platform, stated that it is aware that Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executivesdetained in Nigeria following an ongoing probe of the crypto platform, is no longer in Nigerian custody.
- Binance stated that it is aware that Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance executivesdetained in Nigeria is no longer in Nigerian custody.
- Anjarwalla, aged 38, escaped on Friday from lawful custody at the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryanwere, were being detained.
- The Nigerian government reportedly accused Binance of non-payment of value-added-tax and company income tax, failure to file tax returns and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes via its platform.
Reports surfaced over the weekend that Anjarwalla, aged 38, escaped on Friday from lawful custody at the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryanwere, were being detained.
Guards on duty reportedly escorted him to a nearby mosque for prayers as part of the ongoing Ramadan fast. The British national, who also holds Kenyan citizenship, is believed to have departed Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline.
In an email statement to Business Insider Africa, a Binance spokesperson stated, "We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody. Our primary focus remains on the safety of our employees, and we are working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to quickly resolve the issue."
Authorities are working to uncover Anjarwalla's intended destination to apprehend him and return him to custody. The country is reportedly in talks with Interpol to secure an international arrest warrant for Anjarwalla.
Binance tax evasion
Today, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) reportedly accused Binance of non-payment of value-added-tax and company income tax, failure to file tax returns and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes via its platform. Also named in the charges were the two Binance execs.
The two Binance executives had travelled to Nigeria after the country banned several cryptocurrency trading websites to halt what the CBN described as manipulation of the forex market and illicit movement of funds.
Binance was instructed to provide the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with detailed data and information regarding top Nigerian traders on its platform, a request it refused.
According to Yemi Cardoso, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), over $26 billion passed through Binance Nigeria from unknown sources. The government even hit the exchange with a $10 billion fine amidst a crypto exchange probe.
