The CEO of Binance has reportedly escaped from prison after Nigeria accused him of tax evasion

Update 9:00 am UTC: This article has been updated to include details of the tax evasion lawsuit against Binance.

A Binance executive who was arrested by Nigerian authorities reportedly escaped from custody using a fake passport.

The news comes amid other reports that the Nigerian government has launched a criminal prosecution against tax evasion. According to local media reports, the case was instituted at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

Binance CEO Nadeem Anjarwala and his colleague Tigran Gambarian have been detained in a guesthouse in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, for several weeks. However, Anjarwala reportedly escaped from custody on Friday, March 22, after being taken to a local mosque for prayers.

Anjarwala was reportedly flown out of Abuja by Middle East Airlines. However, it is not clear how he got on the international flight as his British passport is under the control of the Nigerian authorities.

According to immigration officials, Binance's executive fled Nigeria on a Kenyan passport and authorities are now trying to figure out how Anjarwala obtained the passport as he had no other travel documents while in jail.

According to the report, the individuals were given a number of privileges while incarcerated, including cell phones.

Anjarwala, Binance's regional manager for Africa, and Gambarian, a US citizen who heads Binance's criminal investigation team, were arrested on February 26 when they arrived in Nigeria.

The individuals were arrested after they were arraigned in a Magistrate's Court in Abuja.

Related: Binance says it trained investigators in Nigeria with government cooperation

The court allowed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to detain the two individuals for 14 days. Binance has also ordered the Nigerian government to provide information and details of Nigerian traders using the platform.

But after Binance refused to comply with the court's decision, the court extended the authorities' detention for another 14 days to prevent tampering with evidence.

The Nigerian government has taken strict action against individuals and organizations involved in terrorist financing and money laundering related to the Binance crypto exchange.

According to government reports, the Binance exchange was used to launder about $21 billion.

Cointelegraph has reached out to Binance but has yet to receive a response.

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