By Alade Adisa
The last has not been heard about the face-off between three Nigerian lawmakers and some executives of Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies, as allegations and counter-allegations between the parties continued at the weekend.
Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance, who was detained in the country last year before being released, had accused some members of the House of Representatives of demanding $150 million bribe from him to secure his release.
He alleged that the lawmakers demanded that the money be paid in form of cryptocurrency and initially did not mention the names of the bribe demanding federal legislators.
At the weekend, he went on his social media handle, X, formerly Twitter, to list the alleged bribe seekers.
However, on Saturday, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Mr. Ginger Obinna Onwusibe,one of the people mentioned by Gambaryan, issued a statement denying any culpability in the matter.
In a statement titled ‘Limited Reaction to False, Malicious, and Defamatory Publications Against Me by Tigran Gambaryan of Binance,’ Onwusibe refuted any claims of coordination between his committee and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), or the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The lawmaker said that the allegations originated from Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, who shared these claims on social media and with international media outlets such as NPR and WIRED.
Onwusibe explained that his committee’s investigation into Binance was prompted by a petition from a civil society organisation alleging financial and economic crimes.
He outlined the timeline of events, stating that Binance had requested a pre-hearing meeting prior to the official public hearing.
This meeting was held on 8 January 2024 in his absence, as he was on official duty elsewhere. The official hearing was scheduled for 10 January 2024, but Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, failed to attend, leading to multiple rescheduled dates, which were also disregarded.
Following Binance’s continued non-compliance, Onwusibe filed a defamation lawsuit against the company and its CEO, seeking $3 billion in damages. This case, filed in September 2024, is currently pending before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
The statement also referenced Binance’s history of legal issues, including fines and convictions in the U.S., Canada, India, and Uzbekistan for violations related to money laundering and unlicensed operations. Onwusibe alleged that Binance had resorted to blackmail and misinformation to evade accountability in Nigeria.
He reaffirmed his commitment to clearing his name through legal means, insisting that neither he nor his committee solicited bribes at any point during the investigation.
“My attention has been drawn to the publication by Mr. Tigran Gambaryan, Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, 14 February 2025.
“I have been inundated with thousands of phone calls, WhatsApp messages, SMS texts, and visits from colleagues and others at the National Assembly.
“I initially chose not to respond because the issues raised are subjudice, being the subject of a pending court action I initiated against Binance and its CEO, Mr. Richard Teng.
“I categorically deny any coordination between our Congressional investigation and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), or the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
“No one in the ONSA, including the NSA, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, directed us to demand bribes from Binance, and no such bribes were ever demanded.
“It is regrettable that some Nigerians are quick to believe the worst about their country and its institutions without carefully examining the allegations.
“I have been unfairly maligned, and my party and its presidential candidate have been mocked over issues they have no involvement in.
“On 18 September 2024, my counsel filed a lawsuit at the High Court of the FCT, Abuja, seeking an apology, retraction, and damages of three billion dollars ($3,000,000,000.00) against Binance and Mr. Teng.
“The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes scheduled a public hearing after receiving petitions alleging Binance’s violations of Nigerian laws.
“Binance refused to attend the public hearing on 10 January 2024 and subsequent adjourned dates, despite being given every opportunity for a fair hearing.
“Now, Binance and its executives have resorted to blackmail and false accusations to deflect attention from the real issues,” he said.
Binance was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao.
It was originally based in China, then moved to Japan, and finally to Malta. Binance has no official company headquarters.
Binance Coin (BNB) is a cryptocurrency that can be used to trade and pay fees on the Binance exchange. Users of BNB receive a discount on transaction fees.
