Recent reports highlight the detention of two Binance executives in Nigeria due to accusations of tax evasion and related offenses. The Nigerian government detained these cryptocurrency exchange leaders as part of a broader initiative to regulate financial speculation activities surrounding the local currency, the naira. One of the detainees, who held dual British and Kenyan citizenship, has reportedly fled from custody.
Detailed Accusations and Tax Evasion Concerns
Nigerian authorities claim that Binance had not adhered to tax obligations, including the remittance of Value Added Tax and Corporate Income Tax. Moreover, Binance is accused of not submitting tax returns and enabling tax evasion via their cryptocurrency platform. These serious allegations form the basis for the recent detentions.
In a surprising turn of events, one of the detainees, identified only as Anjarwalla, managed to escape from the Abuja guesthouse where the authorities held him. This escape occurred during a visit to a local mosque, leading to suspicions that he fled the capital using a Middle Eastern airline.
Search for the Escaped Executive Intensifies
Nigerian officials are currently conducting a search to locate and recapture Anjarwalla. The executive allegedly left the country using a Kenyan passport, although only a British passport had been seized upon his arrest. Questions arise about how he acquired the Kenyan passport after being detained.
Authorities have also pointed out the privileges given to the two executives while in detention, such as unrestricted access to a phone, hinting that Anjarwalla might have used this to orchestrate his getaway. The situation raises concerns about the oversight of detainees and the management of border controls in Nigeria.
