The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has verified the escape of Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Binance regional manager for Africa, amid ongoing allegations of tax evasion against the cryptocurrency exchange platform.

According to ONSA, Anjarwalla managed to flee Nigeria using a smuggled passport, prompting the arrest of the officer responsible for his detainment.

Zakari Mijinyawa, Head of Strategic Communication at ONSA, stated, “Preliminary investigation shows that Mr. Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.” He further disclosed that the personnel tasked with Anjarwalla’s custody had been apprehended, with a comprehensive investigation underway to uncover the circumstances surrounding his escape from lawful detention.

Reports suggest that Anjarwalla absconded after guards, in a gesture of goodwill for the ongoing Ramadan fast, escorted him to a nearby mosque for prayers. It is speculated that he may have been flown out of the country via a Middle Eastern airliner.

The incident follows the detention of two Binance executives last month by Nuhu Ribadu, amid allegations of the platform’s involvement in foreign exchange trading manipulation detrimental to the naira.

The detained executives, identified as US citizen Tigran Gambaryan and British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla, were summoned by the federal government over accusations of non-payment of Value-Added Tax (VAT), failure to submit tax returns, and complicity in aiding tax evasion through the Binance platform.