The Federal Government of Nigeria said Tigran Gambaryan’s bribery allegations against government officials including Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser and three other suspects – Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese and Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, are falsehoods.
Recall that the Binance executive named three Nigerian lawmakers who allegedly demanded a $150 million bribe from him.
The head of financial crime of crypto firm Binance, who was detained in Nigeria for several months and was discharged by a Federal High Court in October 2024.
But, Mohammed Idris, the minister of Information and National Orientation, said the government has “noted 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”.
“While the Federal Government of Nigeria is reluctant to engage Mr. Gambaryan, due to the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, we are compelled to set the record straight to prevent his falsehoods from gaining traction”.
The Minister said that the first visit of Tigran Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was at their own discretion, and the Government was not officially involved.
“However, when the Government’s attention was drawn to an alleged bribery demand during that trip, an investigation was immediately launched, despite there being no formal complaint from 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.
Mr. Gambaryan was released by the Nigerian government in October 2024 on humanitarian grounds and following a high-level diplomatic intervention that ended with tangible benefits for Nigeria.
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”.
