The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to probe the mysterious escape of an executive of a crypto currency exchange Company, Binance, Nadeem Anjarwalla, in what it described as a security breach which occurred while the detainee was being held in a Guest House under the control of the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Dominic Okafor, at the Plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas.
The House further mandated its relevant committees to jointly invite the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to explain and assist in getting to the root of the serious security lapse that led to the escape.
Recall that in the last week of April, the Crypto Currency-dealing company’s Director, Nadeem Anjarwalla invited into the country and detained in connection with alleged fraud and terrorism financing escaped from the NSA controlled Guest House he was being detained in.
In moving the motion, the lawmaker noted that the Federal government arrested and detained Nadeem Anjarwalla, an executive of a crypto currency exchange Company, Binance on February 26, 2024 for complicity of the Company in money laundering and terrorism financing.
According to him, “two Binance executives were billed to appear in court on April 4, 2024 to answer to the alleged crimes against Nigeria and Nigerians, before the security breach occurred, leading to the escape of one of the Company’s executives in a very scandalous circumstances.
He said “Persons suspected to have committed such atrocious crimes against the State of Nigeria with already over-burdened Security challenges were kept in a Guest House in Abuja instead of lawful custody of the Department of State Service or any other approved custodial facility.”
“The escape of the Binance executive from the office of the National Security Adviser using a “Smuggled Passport” is, to say the least, most disappointing, embarrassing and disturbing as it portrays the porosity of the security architecture of the country to the world.
“That, weeks after the unfortunate escape and inability of the security forces to re-arrest Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Kenyan Police arrested him on April 22, 2024 as the International Criminal Police Organization moves to extradite him to Nigeria soon to face the allegation leveled against the Company”, he said.
When the motion was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, it was unanimously supported by members.
The Speaker mandated the Committees on Financial Crimes, National Security and Intelligence and Interior to ensure compliance and report to the House in two weeks.
In a related development, the FG has described the bribery claims by Binance CEO Richard Tengt against some unidentified government officials as false and a diversionary act to cover the fraudulent activities of the organization in Nigeria.
In a statement, the information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris said the Nigerian government was aware of the gimmicks by Binance to subvert the rules and laws guiding business conduct in sovereign nations, Nigeria inclusive and will not take such from any quarter.
