Nigeria’s Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Binance Country Manager Nadeem Anjarwalla, who claimed that Nigerian government agencies violated his fundamental rights by detaining him and confiscating his passport.

Nigerian news website NaijaNews reported that a judge on June 19 dismissed Anjawala’s lawsuit against the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for “lack of diligent prosecution.” Neither Anjawala nor the defendants’ legal representatives appeared in court.

Anjawala filed the lawsuit on March 28, seeking to have the institutions’ actions declared illegal. Tonye Krukrubo, a lawyer for Pennsylvania, filed to withdraw from the case at the same time as the lawsuit was filed, allowing Anjawala to seek new representation. Anjawala did not appear in court, escaped from prison and fled to Kenya. The court adjourned the hearing until June 19 to give Anjawala time to find a new representation.

Anjawala claimed that these government agencies violated Section 35 (1) and (4) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended) 1999. He said:

Binance executives’ legal battle escalates

Nigerian authorities detained Anjawala and Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, on February 26. Gambaryan traveled to Nigeria from the United States to support the company’s defense against tax evasion and money laundering charges. As a result, the cases have heightened tensions between the United States and Nigeria.

In response, Gambarian, a US citizen, filed a separate lawsuit against the NSA and EFCC on similar grounds. His lawsuit is scheduled for a hearing on July 9, and Kruklub will continue to represent him. Meanwhile, Anjawala, who holds dual British and Kenyan citizenship, remains in Kenya, and Nigeria is pursuing his extradition.

The dismissal of Anjawala means Nigerian authorities are expected to step up their extradition efforts to prosecute him from Kenya. However, Gambarian's pending lawsuit represents a critical moment that, if successful, could force his release.