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A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed the suit filed by the Africa Regional Manager of Binance Holdings Limited, Nadeem Anjarwalla, against the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, dismissed the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Recall that the judge said Anjarwalla’s counsel, Tonye Krukrubo (SAN), had sought leave to withdraw his appearance in the matter and the application was granted.
He said the matter was adjourned until Wednesday (yesterday) for mention but no lawyer appeared for the applicant.
The Binance executive and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, had filed separate human rights enforcement suits against the NSA and EFCC, seeking an order to release them from detention.
The two crypto-exchange executives, in the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24 and FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24, sued the ONSA and EFCC as first and second respondents.
Kukrubo had moved a motion seeking to amend his client-originating process, a request the EFCC lawyer, Olarewanju Adeola, opposed.
Justice Ekwo, however, granted Krukrubo’s request to amend his application.
He held that parties, by law, were entitled to amend their processes before judgment, “I am minded to grant this amendment,” he said.
The court, however, fined Gambaryan the sum of N50,000 to be paid to the EFCC for joining issues in the matter.
Justice Ekwo held that the fine must be paid before the next adjourned date of July 9.
Both Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, in their separate fundamental rights enforcement applications, sought a declaration that their detention and the seizure of their international travel passport contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
They claimed the act amounted to a violation of their fundamental rights to personal liberty as guaranteed by the constitution, among others.
Anjarwalla and Gambaryan are both United States citizens working for Binance, a crypto exchange platform.
