News
BREAKING: Detained Binance CEO Escapes from Custody in Nigeria After Visiting Mosque for Ramadan
Detained Binance Executive has escaped from custody in Nigeria after visiting a Mosque for Ramadan.
Naijablitznews reports that one of the two Binance executives, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who was held behind bars in Nigeria on suspicious tax evasion and other offences, escaped from detention.
The 38-year-old Anjarwalla broke free from the Abuja guest house on Friday, March 22, where he was being held along with a companion. The guards there had led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in observance of the ongoing Ramadan fast.
The detained Binance Executive, a British citizen, who is also a Kenyan, is thought to have taken a Middle East airliner out of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Although Anjarwalla entered Nigeria using a British passport which was in the possession of Nigerian authorities when he escaped, it is still unclear how he managed to board a foreign flight.
To rearrest him, authorities are reportedly investigating his intended destination.
The report cited an Immigration official who stated that the Binance executive used a Kenyan passport to leave Nigeria. But considering that he was carrying only the British passport and no other travel documents, the official said that police were attempting to ascertain how he got the passport.
The two officials were in a “comfortable guest house,” according to a different source. Numerous privileges were allegedly granted to them, including the ability to use telephones, which Anjarwalla took advantage of to plan his escape.
Newsone recalls that Anjarwalla, the regional manager for Binance in Africa, and Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen in charge of the cryptocurrency exchange platform’s financial crime compliance, were arrested when they arrived in Nigeria on February 26, 2024.
The two Binanace executives were charged with a crime by the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Bola Tinubu before an Abuja magistrate court.
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was permitted by the court on February 28, 2024, to detain the two individuals for 14 days.
The Nigerian government was also required by the court to get data and information about Nigerians who trade on Binance’s platform. The court prolonged the officials’ detention for an extra 14 days to stop them from tampering with the evidence after Binance disobeyed the order. The case between the government and Binance was postponed by the court until 4 April 2024.
Another four-count charge brought by the government against Binance Holdings Limited, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan alleges that they provided services to users of their platform without registering with the Federal Inland Revenue Service and failing to pay all applicable taxes managed by the service, thereby committing an offence against and punishable under Section 8 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as Amended).
The Federal government of Nigeria claims that Binance provided taxable services to users of their trading platform but neglected to send them invoices so they could calculate and pay their value-added taxes. By doing this, they violated S.29 of the Value Added Tax Act of 1993 (as modified) and committed an infraction.
News
BREAKING: Human Rights Lawyer Dele Farotimi Released
By Gloria Ikibah
Prominent human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has been released after fulfilling his bail conditions.
Farotimi, who had been in custody over allegations of defaming Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, regained his freedom on Tuesday morning.
He is currently enroute to his home in Lagos.
Confirming the development, activist and politician Omoyele Sowore stated on X, “I am pleased to report that Dele Farotimi is no longer being held in the prison facilities of Ekiti State and is now returning home to Lagos. The struggle continues!”
Earlier, a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti granted Farotimi bail, setting conditions that included a N30 million bond, two sureties (one of whom must be a property owner), the submission of his passport, and a restriction on granting media interviews following his release.
News
NASC backpedals reverses Atiku’s appointment as DCNA, replaces him with Yero
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Following the intervention by the National Assembly leadership, the National Assembly Service Commission, NASC, has reversed the appointment of Dr Ibrahim Atiku as Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, DCNA.
The Commission has replaced Atiku with the permanent secretary [Estate and Works Directorate], Engineer Bashir Yero.
This was consequent upon the outcome of a meeting convened Monday night by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, with Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and their deputies in attendance.
Present also at the meeting were the Chairman of the NASC, Engineer Ahmed Amshi, two commissioners from NASC, and some permanent secretaries in the NASS bureaucracy.
THE CONCLAVE learnt that the high-level meeting took place in the Senate President’s residence.
Reports from the meeting said that the chairman of the NASC and his commissioners could not justify the appointment of Atiku when asked by the speaker how the choice of Atiku was arrived at.
THE CONCLAVE reports that it was at that point that the commission chairman sought the leave of the Senate President and the Speaker to ask that the permanent secretaries present should excuse them since they could not be sitting over a matter in which they had personal interest.
Upon their return to the room, after the leadership had arrived at a resolution one way or another, it was agreed that Engr. Bashir Yero of Estate and Works Directorate be appointed the DCNA, while Engr Sanda Liman of Procurement Directorate, be redeployed in Estate and Works.
The newly promoted Ibrahim Atiku [to the position of permanent secretary], as resolved and directed, should be deployed in Procurement Directorate.
The NASC is expected to formalise and/or activate the decision soonest.
Source: CONCLAVE
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