Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance regional manager for Africa, has escaped detention from Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.
For context, Nadeem and Tigran Gambaryan, Binance's head of financial crime compliance, were the delegates sent by the trading platform to represent it in Nigeria following several accusations, with the most recent being allegations of tax evasion against the exchange and its executives by the Nigerian government.
Consequently, the two representatives arrived in Nigeria on February 26, and they have both been detained since then with no potential release in sight despite being free of any personal charge.
Breaking the news about the latest development, the office of Nigeria's National Security Adviser (NSA) revealed via a statement that Nadeem successfully absconded Nigeria using a smuggled passport. The statement also partly disclosed plans to oblige Interpol for an international arrest warrant, possibly to re-apprehend the manager.
Details Of Nadeem's Escape
At the time of drafting this report, details of the manager's escape from detention are still sketchy. However, from what we could gather from different trusted sources, Nadeem, a devoted Muslim, successfully fled the country after he was transported to a nearby mosque to worship under the watchful eyes of specially assigned security agents.
Presently, Nadeem's whereabouts remain unknown; the only possible findings that could help locate him stem from his dual citizenship - Britain and Kenya.
Notably, before his disappearance, Nadeem and Tigran had appeared in court on March 19. However, no substantial decision or ruling was melted out, resulting in an adjournment till April 4.
Impact On The Binance Versus The Nigerian Government Saga
Binance has suspended trading with the Naira, Nigerian currency, on its exchange since early March.
Apart from the charges mentioned earlier in this piece, the Nigerian government also alleged that Binance had facilitated money laundering and aided customers evade taxes via its trading platform.
As expected, the above allegations are sufficient to grossly strain the relationship between the implicated exchange and the Nigerian government.
The new development will compound the whole saga, extending the duration for both parties to resolve their issues.
In addition, Nigeria boasts the largest crypto economy in Africa, which invariably implies that falling out of favor with the country's government would negatively impact crypto and Binance expansion in Africa.
