On February 26, 2024, the Nigerian government kidnapped two Binance executives who arrived in the country for negotiations regarding a claim that Binance initiated the speculations of Nigeria currency operations, which led to the fall of the naira.
The executives were accused of operating a business worth billions without proper registrations and documentation, leading to their kidnapping in Abuja, Nigeria. The government requested transaction data involving the Nigerian Naira and demanded the deletion of certain data from the Binance platform, but the executives insisted on being taken to their respective embassies before complying. The investigation was taken over by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Despite being under a 14-day remand order, one of the executives, Nadeem Anjarwalla, reportedly escaped from custody using a smuggled passport, prompting efforts for his arrest. The Office of the National Security Adviser confirmed the escape and stated that Anjarwalla fled Nigeria, leading to ongoing efforts, including collaboration with Interpol, to apprehend him. A Nigerian citizen living in the U.K, at the time of this write-up called in from London to contribute to a live radio session and said "he was happy that Anjarwalla escaped; it was wrong for two Binance executives to come for official negotiations on solving the matter but unexpectedly get kidnapped."
Many Nigerians believe that the Nigerian government criminally arrested these executives and wanted to get free money by imposing a fine on Binance worth $10 billion, thinking they would get a similar share as Binance recently agreed to pay the US government a fine of $4.3 billion. The corruption of the Nigerian government and the security agencies is believed to have been taken to an international level, thereby causing them a shocking embarrassment, as most Nigerians and knowledgeable users of Binance believed.
What is your take on this season film of the prison break? Do you think money has exchanged hands or the government is trying to play politics/tricks?
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