The Nigerian government is presently pushing the Binance executives to remain in custody for a further two weeks.

Prominent advocacy groups for cryptocurrency in Kenya and the US have called for the release of Binance officials who have been detained by the Nigerian government since February 26.

Two executives from Binance, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, visited Nigeria last month to discuss the continuous problems with the exchange's operations in that nation.

Nevertheless, the Nigerian authorities imprisoned them without allowing access to their passports rather than holding productive discussions.

State-initiated abduction

In a meeting with the Nigerian High Commission this week, the Kenya Blockchain Association voiced its dissatisfaction with Anjarwalla's prolonged arrest. Anjarwalla is the regional manager of Binance Kenya and a dual citizen of Kenya and Britain.

The group claims that the acts of the Nigerian government raise questions about how people who are having productive conversations with the authorities are treated. They additionally said:

“The arbitrary detention of Nadeem Anjarwalla and his colleague not only undermines principles of transparency, due process, and respect for human rights but also jeopardizes the advancement of blockchain technology and innovation in our region.”

As such, the association demands his immediate release and safe return to his home country.

Similarly, the Chamber of Digital Commerce, a US-based pro-crypto group, urged the US government to ensure the immediate release of Gambaryan, a former special agent of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Binance’s head of financial crime compliance.

According to the group, Gambaryan’s detention “appears to be a state-sponsored kidnapping” and a “flagrant violation of international law.”

As a result, the group called on the US government to become involved in the situation and ensure the victims' prompt release.

Additional custody

The Nigerian authorities are pressing for an additional two weeks of detention for the crypto executives, which might mean a longer stay for the executives in custody.

On April 5, a High Court in the nation's capital, Abuja, will hear the case for consideration.

The Nigerian authorities have not brought any criminal charges against the executives since their apprehension. However, as part of its investigations into the country's foreign exchange issues, the authorities recently received permission to obtain information on every Nigerian user of Binance.