- For several months last year, Mr Gambaryan was arrested and imprisoned in the country in cases of tax evasion and money laundering that have now been quashed
- At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, Gambaryan said
- He explained that the $26 billion Nigerian authorities had said left the country through Binance was false, adding that it was only cumulative trade data for Nigerians on the platform
The name Tigran Gambaryan rings a bell not just in the crypto space but now in Nigeria and the diplomatic corridors of the United States and the West African country.
Mr Gambaryan became popular in Nigeria’s crypto, news and diplomatic circles for his ordeal in the hands of the country’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). For several months last year, Mr Gambaryan was arrested and imprisoned in the country in cases of tax evasion and money laundering that have now been quashed. TheRadar followed the events from his arrest to several court appearances, his eventual release, and the controversies that followed.
So, on Friday, February 14, months after his release and eventual return to the US, Gambaryan decided to speak about his detention. In a lengthy post on X he called ‘Some Unknown Facts,’ the Binance executive provided inside details about the alleged $150 million bribe some legislators in Nigeria demanded from him and Binance.
“The DSS was involved in the House of Representatives matter. We met with them at their office on Friday, January 5, 2024, as a prerequisite to our meeting with the House of Representatives. They alluded to the fact that we had to comply with whatever the House members instructed us to do,” he posted. “At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name.”
“They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in. As you may already know, this ended with them asking for a $150 million bribe, paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets. A Mickey Mouse operation at its best,” Gambaryan posted.
He explained that the $26 billion Nigerian authorities had said left the country through Binance was false, adding that it was only cumulative trade data for Nigerians on the platform.
“This money didn’t leave Nigeria—it was just people buying and selling crypto. For example, if you trade $100 a hundred times, that’s $10,000 in trade volume, but in reality, you only used $100. Again, just another example of them lying to cover up their BS investigation,” he said.
He also said Nigerian authorities lied about Nadeem escaping during mosque prayers, noting that he (Nadeem) returned and escaped afterward. Additionally, he said the EFCC tried to use Binance “to violate international privacy laws by demanding user data on all Nigerians to target opposition members allegedly ‘manipulating the price of the naira.’”
Real reasons EFCC suddenly dropped charges against detained Binance exec Gambaryan
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the federal high court in Abuja discharged Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who had been detained in Nigeria since February 2024.
Gambaryan was standing trial on charges related to the money laundering perpetrated on the Binance crypto exchange. Officials said bad actors used the platform to launder over $35 million. Gambaryan is a US citizen and, until his detention, was head of financial crime compliance at Binance.
