On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a basic rights enforcement complaint filed by Nadeem Anjarwalla, an executive of Binance Holdings Ltd, against the National Security Adviser and the EFCC.
In a verdict, Justice Inyang Ekwo dropped the case due to a lack of rigorous prosecution.
When the matter was called, Anjarwalla’s lawyer and the petitioner were both absent from court.
In a short ruling, Justice Ekwo noted that on March 28 when the matter came up, Tonye Krukrubo, SAN, who appeared for Anjarwalla sought a leave to withdraw his appearance in the matter and the application was granted.
He said the matter was adjourned until today for mention but no lawyer appeared for the applicant.
Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, have filed a separate right enforcement complaint against the NSA and EFCC, seeking an order to release them from custody.
However, on March 22, Anjarwalla escaped from legal custody and went to Kenya.
Anjarwalla and Gambaryan filed cases before Justice Ekwo.
In the suits FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24 and FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24, the duo sued the Office of NSA (ONSA) and the EFCC as the first and second respondents, respectively.
They had sought the same reliefs.
Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, a US citizen in charge of financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, filed separate applications seeking a declaration that their detention and seizure of their international travel passport violated Sections 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
They claimed that the conduct violated his basic right to personal liberty, which is guaranteed by the constitution and other laws.
Meanwhile, Justice Ekwo scheduled a hearing for Gambaryan’s lawsuit on July 9.
The judge set the date after Gambaryan’s lawyer, Krukrubo, filed a petition to alter their originating proceedings.
Although the EFCC’s counsel, Olarewanju Adeola, objected the move, the court ruled that parties were legally allowed to change their processes before judgment.
“I am minded to grant this amendment,” he said.
Gambaryan, on the other hand, was fined N50,000 in costs by the EFCC for his involvement in the case.
Justice Ekwo, who maintained that the fine must be paid by the next postponed date, set July 9 for the hearing of the preliminary objection and the substantive case.
