The lawsuit filed by Nadeem Anjarwalla, the regional manager of Binance, against Nigerian government agencies has been dismissed by the Nigerian High Court, as per local media reports. Anjarwalla claimed that his fundamental rights were violated when he was detained and his passport seized by the authorities.
Judge Inyang Ekwo made the decision on June 19 to dismiss Anjarwalla’s case against the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) due to a lack of diligent prosecution. Neither Anjarwalla nor the respondents had legal representation present in court.
Anjarwalla had filed the lawsuit on March 28, seeking to have the actions of the agencies declared illegal. His lawyer, Tonye Krukrubo, requested to withdraw from the case at the same time it was filed so that Anjarwalla could seek alternative representation. Anjarwalla was not in court as he had already escaped and fled to Kenya by that time. The court postponed the proceedings until June 19 for Anjarwalla to find new legal representation.
In his lawsuit, Anjarwalla argued that the government agencies had violated specific sections of Nigeria’s Constitution. The conflict arose when both Anjarwalla and Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, were detained on February 26. Gambaryan had come to Nigeria from the U.S. to assist in the company’s defense against allegations of tax evasion and money laundering, causing tension between the U.S. and Nigeria.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, also filed a separate lawsuit against the NSA and EFCC on similar grounds. His case is set for a hearing on July 9, with Krukrubo representing him. Anjarwalla, who holds dual British and Kenyan citizenship, remains in Kenya while Nigeria continues to pursue his extradition.