Olusegun Ariyo
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 member.
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 with 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
without a trace.
But, months after the legal tussle, the Nigerian government Dropped Charges Gambaryan and Binance
In October 2024, the court ordered the release of Gambaryan.
On Friday, Urban Express News Online reported that 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, a 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 ground.
“The first visit by Mr Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretionary on their part and the 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.”
