Culprit who aided escape will face severe punishment- lawyer
The Office of the National Security Adviser has confirmed that the detained Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, escaped from custody.
The ONSA on Monday said Anjarwalla, who was a suspect in the probe into the activities of Binance, escaped on Friday.
Earlier, the media had reported that Anjarwalla escaped from custody on Friday.
Confirming the development in a statement the Head, Strategic Communication, ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, said a preliminary investigation showed that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.
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He noted that efforts were ongoing to arrest the suspect.
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, 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.
“Preliminary investigation shows that Mr Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport. ”
Mijinyawa noted that those responsible for the custody of Anjarwalla had been arrested.
He noted that the investigation was ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding his escape.
“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 serving 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 4 April 2024” the statement added.
He urged Nigerians and the international community to help with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect.
Mijinyawa said, “We urge the Nigerian public and the international community to provide whatever information they have that can assist law enforcement agencies to apprehend the suspect.”
Financial Times had on February 28 reported that two executives of the company were arrested and detained after they flew into the country as a result of a ban on their website.
On March 12, 2024, the FT reported that the EFCC asked Binance to share data on its 100 top users in Nigeria as well as all transaction history for the past six months.
According to the report, the request is at the centre of negotiations between Binance and Nigeria.
Daily Champion spoke with a lawyer, Wahab Olawale on the legal grounds that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, may stand on to prosecute the security personnel whom he has accused of allowing the escape of the Binance official, Nadeem Anjarwalla.
Olawale said, “It is a criminal offence.
“Yes, Section 135 of the Criminal Code specifies that if a person who is lawfully detained escapes from custody, that person is guilty of a misdemeanour or felony.
“Likewise, this position applies to a security officer who is in charge of the suspect. The officer, if found guilty, is liable to seven years imprisonment.
“Perchance, if the officer is charged for a mere misdemeanour, they will be liable to imprisonment for two years.
“However, this situation can be likened to a breach of the code of conduct which is punishable under the Code of Conduct Act 2012.
“A primary responsibility of an officer, either police or an officer (of another agency), as an official representative of government who is required and trusted to work within the law is serving the community, the nation, keeping the peace, ensuring the right of all to liberty and also uphold equity and justice without being prejudiced, I will not say on why and how the Binance official escaped custody. But, it is an issue that calls to question the integrity of the officers that were entrusted with guarding and securing the custody of the Binance official.
“In effect, the (arrested) security officers have breached one or two of the principles of the code of conduct.
