It has been reported that one of the two Binance executives detained in Nigeria on allegations of tax evasion and other crimes has escaped custody. In February, the Nigerian authorities had detained two senior executives of Binance. The detention came amid the government’s efforts to clamp down on cryptocurrency exchanges to control speculation on the naira.
Serious Allegations Against Binance
The allegations against Binance include failure to pay Value Added Tax, Corporate Income Tax, failure to submit tax returns, and facilitating tax evasion through their platform.
It was reported that on Friday, Anjarwalla escaped from the guest house in Abuja where he and his colleague were being held. It is said that Anjarwalla escaped after some guards accompanied him to a nearby mosque to pray. It is suspected that the British citizen, who also holds Kenyan citizenship, left Abuja via a Middle Eastern airline.
Despite Anjarwalla’s British passport being confiscated by Nigerian authorities upon entry, how he managed to board an international flight remains unclear.
Authorities Attempt to Locate Fugitive
Nigerian authorities are trying to determine the whereabouts of the Binance executive to re-arrest him. An Immigration Office official stated that the Binance executive escaped from Nigeria using a Kenyan passport.
Considering that no other travel document was found on him at the time of arrest, apart from the British passport, officials are trying to figure out how he obtained the passport. Another official mentioned that even while in detention, the two executives were granted privileges such as unlimited access to a phone. It is suspected that Anjarwalla took advantage of this opportunity to plan his escape.
