In a dramatic turn of events, the Federal Government has taken swift action to track down Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the detained executives of global cryptocurrency firm Binance, who made a daring escape from lawful custody on Friday. The government has reached out to the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and issued an arrest warrant for Anjarwalla’s apprehension.
Anjarwalla, a suspect in the ongoing investigation into Binance’s activities in Nigeria, managed to flee custody using a Kenyan passport, despite being guarded in a secure location in Abuja. His colleague remains in custody as security agencies scramble to locate the fugitive.
The escape, facilitated by a Middle East airliner, has sent shockwaves through security agencies, prompting an urgent response to prevent any further evasion of justice. Authorities revealed that the escapee was held in a “safe house” under military guard, and those responsible for his custody have been detained for questioning.
The Office of the National Security Adviser confirmed Anjarwalla’s escape in a statement issued in Abuja, expressing grave concern over the breach of security protocols. Preliminary investigations suggest that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled international passport, raising questions about the integrity of detention procedures.
The statement read, “The Office of the National Security Adviser confirms that Nadeem Anjarwalla, a suspect in the ongoing criminal probe into the activities of Binance in Nigeria, has escaped from lawful custody on Friday, March 22, 2024.
“Upon receiving this report, this office took immediate steps, in conjunction with relevant security agencies, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as the international community, to apprehend the suspect.
“Security agencies are working with Interpol for an international arrest warrant on the suspect. Preliminary investigation shows that Mr Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.”
“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.
“Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria, like other governments around the world, has been investigating money laundering and terrorism financing transactions perpetrated on the Binance currency exchange platform.
“Until his escape, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who holds 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. He was scheduled to appear before the court again on April 4, 2024,” the statement added.
