This brings the end to an eight-month ordeal, during which he faced allegations including money laundering and tax evasion.

Following a ruling from the Federal High Court, Gambaryan left Kuje prison late Wednesday night, allowing him to return to the United States for urgent medical care. 

The court’s decision, supported by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), brought to light the deterioration of Gambaryan’s health during his detention, prompting the need for specialised treatment.

In response to his release, the U.S. government expressed appreciation to Nigeria for facilitating Gambaryan’s return. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement, thanking the Nigerian government for its cooperation and emphasising the importance of U.S.-Nigeria relations.

Blinken stated, “The United States thanks the Government of Nigeria for releasing U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan on medical grounds, allowing him to return to the United States to receive the specialized medical care he requires.

“This positive outcome demonstrates the strength of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and highlights our shared commitment to working together to advance our common interests.  Our close law enforcement cooperation remains a cornerstone of our bilateral relationship, and the United States is committed to working closely with the Government of Nigeria to address mutual concerns and prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens.”

Gambaryan’s family are greatly relieved following his release, particularly his wife, Yuki Gambaryan, who stated, “It is a huge relief that this day has finally come. The past eight months have been a living nightmare.” She thanked the U.S. government and supporters for their support during this challenging time.

The vision got a boost recently, seeing the US unveiled a tech and creative space ‘America Corner‘ in 21st Century’s corporate headquarters in Lekki, Lagos.

By this stride, 21st Century becomes one of the 245 centers where the US has established American Corners since 2000.

Blinken disclosed that America Corner which now has presence in approximately 60 countries was poised to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity amongst youths.

He explained that US partnership with 21st century was deliberate and aligns with the country’s objective to advance technology and creativity among Nigerian youths.

21st Century is reputed to be first in Nigeria to have deployed Fibre optics network in 1997 and also pioneered Nigeria’s data centre infrastructure, which has been shaping the country’s digital landscape.

Blinken said,

“Back in November of 2021, I had an opportunity to come to Nigeria and to talk about building a 21st century partnership, a 21st century partnership with Africa countries, and to move from those questions about what we can do for Africa to a different question, what can we do with Africa.

“I see this playing out in so many places now as we work together to meet shared challenges that no single one of us can effectively meet alone, and the bottom line, to actually deliver results to our people”

American Corner boasts of resources and facilities like digital studio, workshops, multimedia and tech equipment, amongst others.

The facilities are made available freely for young Nigerians to explore their inventiveness, entrepreneurial, and creative interests.

Commenting on the initiative, Ajisebutu said,

“This is a testament of our dedication to tech advancement and of course, our passion for tomorrow’s leaders. We have always believed in partnership as a key element of success. We want to be part of Nigeria’s innovation journey to becoming most advanced digital services in Africa and beyond”.

The launch of the space was also witnessed by government representatives from both Nigeria and US, including the United States Chargé d’Affaires, David Greene and Consul General in Lagos as well as Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

Remarking, Tijani hinted on Nigeria’s moves to be the next destination for technology.

“We are presently investing in talent, so we want Nigeria to become the next destination of technology talent in the world which is why we are training 3 million of such talents.

“We intend to keep some and also want to become the next exporter of tech talents to the world.”