The legal battle involving Binance regional manager Nadeem Anjarwalla in Nigeria has taken a new turn as the Nigerian High Court recently made a significant decision. Local media outlets reported that the court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Anjarwalla, who claimed that his fundamental rights were violated by Nigerian government agencies when they detained him and confiscated his passport.
On June 19, Judge Inyang Ekwo ruled to dismiss Anjarwalla’s suit against the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) citing “want of diligent prosecution” as the reason. Interestingly, neither Anjarwalla nor any legal representatives for either party were present during the court session.
Anjarwalla’s lawsuit, which was filed on March 28, aimed to challenge the legality of the actions taken by the Nigerian government agencies. In a surprising move, Binance’s lawyer, Tonye Krukrubo, requested to withdraw from the case at the same time the lawsuit was filed. This allowed Anjarwalla to seek alternative legal representation. However, by the time the court suspended proceedings until June 19, Anjarwalla had already fled to Kenya after escaping from prison.
In his lawsuit, Anjarwalla argued that the Nigerian government agencies had infringed upon Section 35 (1) and (4) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended). This legal battle is just one aspect of a larger conflict involving Anjarwalla and Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, who were both detained in Nigeria on February 26. Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, had traveled to Nigeria to assist in defending the company against accusations of tax evasion and money laundering.
The cases against Binance have sparked tensions between the United States and Nigeria. Gambaryan also filed a lawsuit against the NSA and EFCC on similar grounds, with his case scheduled for a hearing on July 9. Krukrubo continues to represent Gambaryan in his legal battle.
Anjarwalla, who holds dual British and Kenyan citizenship, remains in Kenya while Nigeria pursues his extradition. The situation continues to evolve as U.S. enforcement agencies intensify their focus on combatting crypto-related crimes.