The Federal Government on Friday rejected the claims made by Binance’s Head of Financial Crime, Tigran Gambaryan, who spent eight months in a Nigerian detention facility over alleged corruption.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes and was released after intervention by the U.S. government.
In a post on X, he alleged that his unlawful arrest by Nigerian authorities led to former U.S. President Joe Biden canceling a planned meeting with President Bola Tinubu during the 2024 UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Gambaryan also accused National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu of causing the situation and claimed the U.S. government reduced the size of Nigeria’s delegation at the event.
He further alleged that three Nigerian lawmakers demanded a $150 million bribe from him.
Read Also: Binance Chief Gambaryan Names Nigerian Lawmakers Who Allegedly Demanded $150 Million Bribe
However, the Federal Government dismissed these allegations, urging the public to disregard them.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, called Gambaryan’s claims part of a deliberate misinformation campaign.
He stated that the Nigerian government had rejected Binance’s offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Gambaryan’s release, preferring to reach a more favorable settlement with the U.S. government.
Idris explained that the government was compelled to address the falsehoods to prevent them from spreading.
He also addressed the bribery accusations, stating that Gambaryan’s initial visit to Nigeria was voluntary and not sanctioned by the government. He emphasized that an investigation was immediately launched into the bribery allegations after the government became aware of them, despite the absence of a formal complaint.
Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British Kenyan and regional manager for Africa at Binance, were detained by the Federal Government and charged with money laundering involving $35 million, a case initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Anjarwalla escaped custody on March 22, 2024.
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