Reps probe escape of Binance executive from custody

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the circumstances that led to the escape from custody of the Head of Binance Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla.

The resolution was taken by the legislators at plenary on Wednesday.

Mr Anjarwalla, 38, escaped on 22 March from an Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained after guards on duty led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the Ramadan fast.

The resolution to embark on the probe was a sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Dominic Okafor on Wednesday during plenary.

This probe is coming Less than 24 hours after Binance CEO Richard Teng accused some lawmakers of demanding bribes from his employees during a meeting in January.

The House directed its relevant committees to test the escape.

The movement

Moving the motion, Mr Okafor described the escape of the Binance executive as an embarrassing breach of security that warrants a thorough investigation.

He also faulted the arrangement of holding the two executives at a hotel without adequate security arrangements.

“Persons suspected to have committed such atrocious crimes against the state of Nigeria with already over-burdened security challenges were kept in a guest house in Abuja instead of lawful custody of the Department of State Service or any Other approved custodial facility,” Mr Okafor said .

He added: “The escape of the Binance executive from the office of the National Security Adviser using a “smuggled passport” is, to say the least, most disappointing, embarrassing and disturbing as it portrays the porosity of the security architecture of the country to “the world.”

After the motion was adopted, the House resolved that relevant committees of the House should conduct the investigation.

When the motion was put to vote by the presiding officer, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the voters voted in support of it.

The committees are to report progress to the House within four weeks.