The House of Representatives has described the escape of one of the two Binance chiefs from custody as most disappointing, embarrassing, and disturbing, saying it portrays the porosity of the security architecture of Nigeria to the world.
The lawmakers, however, resolved to investigate the circumstances leading to the escape of the Binance executive from the custody of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
They want those found guilty of aiding the escape of the detainee brought to justice.
Adopting a motion by Dominic Okafor (LP, Anambra) the House asked its relevant committees to conduct an investigation on the detainee’s escape and fish out those culpable in the escape.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, one of the two Binance chiefs detained for offences bothering on money laundering escaped from the custody of the NSA on March 22, 2024.
Anjarwalla had escaped following the Federal government’s crackdown on the cryptocurrency platform in a bid to strengthen the naira.
While the government later traced Anjarwalla to Kenyan, multiple reports said the Binance executive was now in the custody of the Kenyan police.
Since he escaped from Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the International Criminal Police, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and the Kenyan Police Service have been in talks to extradite Anjarwalla.
In March, EFCC confirmed plans to extradite the Binance chief in the agency’s bulletin for the month.
Okafor expressed concerns that 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 motion stated: “Worried that 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.
“Disturbed 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 organisation. moves to extradite him to Nigeria soon to face the allegation leveled against the Company.”
The lawmakers therefore mandated the Director General of the DSS to take over the investigation and prosecution of personnel found complicit in the escape of Nadeem Anjarwalla.
