Anjarwalla, our executive, is no longer detained in Nigeria - Binance

The international cryptocurrency exchange Binance has verified that Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of its executives, is no longer detained in Nigeria.

This information was sent by Binance spokesperson Samantha Fuller with PUNCH Online via email on Monday.

The cryptocurrency exchange stated that it is still concerned about the security and welfare of its workers and that it is actively working with Nigerian law enforcement to find a quick solution.

“We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody. Our primary focus remains on the safety of our employees, and we are working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to quickly resolve this issue,” said Fuller.

The spokesperson did not, however, elaborate on how the executive escaped from Nigerian prison.

PUNCH Online reported that the 38-year-old British national who was detained with his colleague in an Abuja guest house escaped on March 22.

After arriving in Nigeria on February 26, 2024, Anjarwalla and his colleague Tigran Gambaryan were detained.

On February 26, after arriving in Nigeria, Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, who is British-Kenyan, and Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen in charge of financial crime compliance at the company, were taken into custody.

The circumstances surrounding Anjarwalla’s escape are still unknown, however it is believed that he used his visit to a local mosque for Ramadan prayers as a means of eluding capture.

Anjarwalla apparently left using a Kenyan passport, raising concerns about how he obtained it while in detention, even though his British passport was in Nigerian custody at the time of arrival.

For clarification on the subject, PUNCH Online had already been in touch with JNPR, the public relations firm that represents Binance executives.

The communications consultant at JNPR, Jessica Gois, stated, “I am currently seeking feedback from my clients. Unfortunately, I can’t share any information at the moment. As soon as I receive any updates, I will let you know.”

Anjarwalla’s whereabouts and the details of his escape are currently unknown, and investigations are being conducted to identify his planned destination.

The executives’ families announced last week that they would stay in custody in Nigeria for a minimum of two more weeks.

The two did not face any criminal charges when they initially appeared in court on Wednesday.

Following Nigeria’s recent crackdown on many bitcoin trading platforms, this imprisonment occurred.

The exchange declared on March 8 that it was going to stop offering its naira-to-dollar exchange services in Nigeria because of a disagreement with the country’s authorities, who claimed the platform was manipulating the foreign currency rate.

Yemi Cardoso, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, reported that the platform had handled approximately $26 billion in illicit funds in the previous year.