Nigerian Court Postpones Binance Tax Evasion Case

The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the tax evasion case against the bitcoin exchange Binance to April 30, as reported by Reuters.

The court granted the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) additional time to prepare a response to the platform’s query regarding the legality of serving court documents via email.

Binance’s lawyers noted that the exchange operator does not have a physical office in the country and is registered in the Cayman Islands. On this basis, they argue that the fiscal authority’s court-approved permission in February to send documents online is improper.

Nigerian authorities accuse Binance of tax evasion, citing a “significant economic presence” in the country. The claims amount to $2 billion. An additional $79.5 billion is sought by the government from the exchange for economic damage allegedly caused by its activities.

The authorities have blamed Binance for the instability of the Nigerian currency and in 2024 detained two of its top executives. Nadim Anjarwalla managed to escape to Kenya, while Tigran Gambaryan spent eight months in the Kuje correctional facility in Abuja. In October, the Nigerian government dropped all charges against him.

Earlier, Nigerian officials linked Binance to terrorism and kidnappings, alleging the platform facilitated the financing of criminal activities.