A federal high court in Nigeria has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance executive, alleging human rights violations by the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Anjarwalla, who holds dual citizenship of Britain and Kenya, had fled Nigeria on March 28 after his arrest, amidst regulatory concerns surrounding Binance’s operations in the country ¹.
The court’s decision was largely due to Anjarwalla’s lack of legal representation after his lawyer withdrew from the case. Despite being given until June 19 to appoint new legal representatives, Anjarwalla failed to do so, leading to the dismissal of the case.
Anjarwalla had claimed that his detention was unlawful and caused him and his family great suffering, breaching Section 35 (1) and (4) of the Constitution. However, Justice Ekwo dismissed the case due to a lack of diligent prosecution.
Meanwhile, another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, remains detained at Kuje Prison in Nigeria, facing charges related to money laundering. Despite being denied bail, Gambaryan’s case is scheduled for hearing on July 9. The Nigerian government continues to engage with Binance over regulatory issues, causing tension between the US and Nigeria.
The situation has sparked diplomatic efforts, with FBI Director Christopher Wray meeting with Nigeria’s President, and US lawmakers calling for Gambaryan’s release. Binance maintains that Gambaryan is not a significant decision-maker within the company, arguing against his continued detention while negotiations with Nigerian authorities are ongoing.
