The Embarrassing Escape of Binance Official in Abuja

The recent escape of Binance official, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a suspect in the ongoing criminal probe into the activities of the crypto currency organisation, from lawful custody in Nigeria, was a great embarrassment to the Nigerian government.

It also exposed the lack of respect the government has for Nigerians.

Anjarwalla, not only escaped, he and his co-accused, Tigran Gambaryan, have sued the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged violation of their fundamental rights.

The preferential treatment given to Anjarwalla, which aided his escape, showed that the Nigerian government places no value on the welfare of the citizens of this country.

The federal government had been investigating money laundering and terrorism financing transactions perpetrated on the Binance currency exchange platform.

Binance had pleaded guilty to flouting anti-money laundering laws in the United States in late 2023, settling for a plea bargain that cost the company $4.3 billion.

Anjarwalla, who held British and Kenyan nationalities, was scheduled to appear before the court again on April 4, 2024.

But in what was viewed as an international embarrassment to Nigeria, the suspect escaped on Friday, March 22 when his guards on duty escorted him from the guesthouse where he was held to a nearby mosque for prayers.

He was detained at a guesthouse where he was allowed to go to the mosque simply because he holds a British passport.

However, Nigerians facing allegations for similar or less offences do not enjoy the luxury of a guesthouse where they could worship at a church or mosque but are incarcerated by the DSS or EFCC.

A former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele was in the DSS custody longer than is allowed by the Nigerian laws before he was transferred to the EFCC.

Also, the Editor of FirstNews, Segun Olatunji, whose offence was not known, was abducted from his home in Lagos State on Friday, March 15, 2024 by soldiers.

Before he was released last Thursday, the International Press Institute (IPI), had on Wednesday, traced him to the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

It is sad and unfortunate that when a crime suspect is a British national, he is treated with dignity and allowed to enjoy the luxury of a guesthouse where he can worship at a mosque and plot his escape.