A federal high court in Nigeria has dismissed a human rights case filed by Binance CEO Nadeem Anjarwalla against the country’s National Security Advisor and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
On June 19, Judge Inyang Ekwo dismissed the case due to Anjarwalla’s lack of legal representation. Legal experts stated that this decision was expected as Anjarwalla had fled the custody of the Nigerian authority in March and his lawyer, Tonye Krukrubo, had subsequently withdrawn from the case.
Anjarwalla, a dual British and Kenyan citizen, was among the Binance executives the Nigerian government arrested in February over regulatory issues related to the exchange’s operations.
However, he escaped custody in March using a Kenyan passport, and his location remains unknown.
Gambaryan remains in custody
Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s other director, remains in Nigerian custody and is involved in several legal battles against authorities.
He is currently incarcerated in Kuje Prison and has a pending human rights enforcement application against the Nigerian government. The case will be heard on July 9.
He is also accused of money laundering and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court denied him bail because he posed a flight risk.
Notably, Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) recently dropped charges against him and focused on the exchange instead.
Meanwhile, there are suggestions that the US government could intervene in Gambaryan’s continued detention. Recently, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Met with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, further fueling speculation about a diplomatic intervention.
Nevertheless, Binance has maintained that Gambaryan is not a key decision maker at the company and does not need to be detained until it resolves its issues with the Nigerian government.