The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed concerns over what it described as outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance.
Gambaryan was recently tried in Nigeria for financial
crimes.
Recall that Gambaryan and his fellow, Anjarwalla were
detained on February 26, 2024, by the Nigerian government.
While Anjarwalla escaped from custody, Gambaryan was kept in
detention and was charged for money laundering by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC.
This came after the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,
Olayemi Cardoso, raised the alarm that $26 billion was funneled through Binance
without a trace.
But, months after the legal tussle, the Nigerian government
dropped charges against Gambaryan and Binance.
In October 2024, the court ordered the release of Gambaryan.
Recall that on Friday, Gambaryan accused
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, of seeking a bribe to fund
his political ambition.
The Binance former executive also accused Reps member,
Philip Agbese and two other Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million
bribe, which should be paid into their cryptocurrency wallets.
However, Agbese, member representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo
Federal Constituency in Benue State, had challenged Mr Gambaryan to provide
evidence of him demanding the bribe.
He went further to threaten legal action against Gambaryan
if he failed to prove his allegations or apologize within seven days.
Similarly, in a statement signed by the Minister of
Information and National, Mohammed Idris, the Nigerian government said it was
obliged to set the records straight to stop his falsehoods from gaining
grounds.
“The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to
Nigeria was discretionary on their part and Government was not officially
involved,” the statement said.
“However, when the attention of the Government was called to
an alleged bribery demand during that trip an investigation was immediately
opened into it though there was no formal complaint by anyone.
“Mr. Gambaryan’s second visit to Nigeria was part of a wider
probe into the criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through
peer-to-peer platforms like Binance, but investigators were frustrated by the
tactics deployed by Gambaryan and his team.
“The government rejected Binance’s offer of a $5 million
down payment in exchange for Mr. Gambaryan’s freedom, in favour of a more
beneficial settlement with the American government.
“We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Mr.
Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public
to disregard these false accusations in their entirety.
“It is essential to note that Mr. Gambaryan’s allegations
are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent
motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.
“However, we are confident that both the Nigerian and
American judicial systems will provide Mr. Gambaryan with a fair opportunity to
substantiate his claims in court.
“Until then, we advise the public to exercise caution and
not be swayed by Mr. Gambaryan’s unfounded and malicious claims.”
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