The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) confirmed on Monday that the detained Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has escaped from custody.
The NSA also revealed that security agencies are working with Interpol for an international arrest warrant on the suspect.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Head of Strategic Communication at ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa.
In the statement, Mijinyawa noted that Anjarwalla escaped from the hotel where they were detained on Friday when some guards led him to go and observe the Friday night prayers in the spirit of Ramadan.
He also noted that a preliminary investigation showed that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.
The statement partly reads, “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, MDAs, as well as the international community, to apprehend the suspect. Security agencies are working with Interpol for an international arrest warrant on the suspect.”
Mijinyawa also added that efforts were ongoing to arrest the suspect, while those who were responsible for the custody of Anjarwalla have been arrested.
“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,” he stated.
News About Nigeria reported that Anjarwalla and one other executive of the global cryptocurrency platform were arrested when they came to Nigeria on February 28, 2024.
