The Nigerian government has refuted allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime, dismissing them as baseless and misleading.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, spent eight months in detention in Nigeria over financial crime charges before his release, which came after intervention from the United States government.
In a statement posted on X, Gambaryan alleged that his detention led to former U.S. President Joe Biden canceling a scheduled meeting with President Bola Tinubu during the 2024 UN General Assembly (UNGA).
He also accused National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu of orchestrating his arrest and claimed that the U.S. government scaled down Nigeria’s delegation for the event.
Additionally, he alleged that three Nigerian lawmakers attempted to extort $150 million from Binance.
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Responding to the accusations, the Federal Government urged the public to disregard them, labeling them as an attempt to manipulate public perception.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed Gambaryan’s statements as deliberate misinformation.
He also revealed that Binance offered a $5 million payment, implying an attempt to negotiate its way out of legal trouble.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria notes with concern the outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes,” the statement read.
“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.”
Minister Idris emphasised that the government found it necessary to clarify the situation to prevent misinformation from spreading.
He also refuted Gambaryan’s allegations of bribery, stating that his trip to Nigeria was voluntary and had no official endorsement from any government agency.
Idris further noted that authorities launched an investigation as soon as the claims surfaced to ensure transparency and accountability.
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“The initial visit by Mr. Gambarya and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretional on their part and the government was not officially involved.
“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,” he stated.
Nigerian authorities took Tigran Gambaryan and his associate, Nadeem Anjarwalla, into custody.
Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan national and Binance’s regional manager for Africa, faced legal action alongside Gambaryan.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused both men of laundering $35 million.
However, on March 22, 2024, Anjarwalla managed to flee from detention.
