Reportedly, a Binance executive has escaped from custody in Abuja.

One of the Binance executives detained in Nigeria, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has reportedly escaped from police custody.

According to Premiumtimes, Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on Friday, March 22, from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were being held.

Guards on duty allegedly led him to a nearby mosque for prayers, and he subsequently flew out of Abuja using a Middle East airliner.

Anjarwalla, a British citizen with Kenyan citizenship, was said to have fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport, leaving his British passport with Nigerian authorities. Authorities are working to ascertain his intended destination and secure his return to custody.

Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and his colleague Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26, 2024.

A criminal charge was filed against them, and they were remanded for 14 days by a Magistrate Court in Abuja.

Subsequently, the court extended their remand for an additional 14 days due to Binance’s refusal to comply with a court order regarding data sharing.

The case was adjourned till April 4, 2024.

Additionally, the Nigerian government filed a four-count charge against Binance Holdings Limited, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan, accusing them of tax-related offenses.

The government alleges that Binance failed to register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service and did not pay relevant taxes.

The government crackdown on Binance follows accusations of the platform being used for money laundering, terrorist financing, currency speculation, and market manipulation, with Nigerians reportedly trading over $21.6 billion on the platform.