Escape Of Binance Executive: A Nation Compromised By Corruption – HURIWA Says
Human Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has said that the escape from lawful custody of Binance Executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla is a clear sign that there are persons in position of authority in the security architecture of Nigeria who are ready to compromise national security at the altar of pecuniary benefits.
It also said that the embarrassing development was a clear demonstration that Nigeria has become compromised by corruption thus, said that there should be severe and immediate consequences for the breach of national security which the staged escape of the fugitive from lawful custody demonstrated.
HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said that failure to provide adequate security and surveillance around the escaped Anjarwalla which made him to escape is a matter of urgent national security importance.
In the words of HURIWA; “The Nigerian state should look at these lapses from the point of view of possible compromise with corruption which has totally tarnished the image of Nigeria and painted a graphic picture of a Country whereby the national security can very seamlessly be compromised even by foreigners who allegedly in deep-seated conflict with the laws of Nigeria.
“We call on the President to fire the National Security Adviser and the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration for allowing either willfully or by dereliction, this high profile breach of Nigeria’s national security because what has happened can be equated with actively aiding and abetting sabotage of Nigeria’s economy.
“For the Nigerian Immigration Service and the office of the National Security Adviser not to be able to provide concrete evidence that there was no compromise that allowed this fugitive to escape from lawful custody, then there must be very serious consequences”.
HURIWA said that it remained unclear how Anjarwalla got an international flight despite his British passport with which he entered Nigeria and was in the custody of the Nigerian authorities.
The Rights group said that an Immigration official said the Binance executive fled Nigeria with a Kenyan passport, adding that the authorities were trying to determine how he obtained the passport, given that he had no other travel document apart from the British passport on him when he was taken into custody.
Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26, 2024.
A criminal charge was filed against the two executives before a Magistrate Court in Abuja on February 28, 2024, which granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an order to remand the duo for 14 days.
The court also ordered Binance to provide the Nigerian government with the data/information of Nigerians trading on its platform.
Following Binance’s refusal to comply with the order, the court extended the remand of the officials for an additional 14 days to prevent them from tampering with evidence and adjourned the case to April 4, 2024.
HURIWA tasked the Federal Government to ensure that the serious breach of national security is not allowed to slide or be consigned to the dustbin of impunity.
