Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, has accused three Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe from him.
According to Politics Nigeria, His claims follow months of legal battles with Nigerian authorities, who accused Binance of facilitating money laundering and financial crimes in the country. The case drew international attention, prompting U.S. diplomatic intervention to secure his release.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Gambaryan named Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese (Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives), and Ginger Obinna Onwusibe (Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption) as those who allegedly made the bribery request.
Bribery Allegations
Gambaryan claimed that the demand was made during a meeting that was framed as an official engagement with lawmakers. However, he alleged that the session was staged, complete with fake cameras to create an illusion of legitimacy.
Detailing the events, he stated that Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in setting up the meeting. He recounted that on January 5, 2024, he and his team were first taken to the DSS office before proceeding to meet with the lawmakers.
“At the House meeting, three members were present—Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese, and another lawmaker whose name I can’t recall. They operated under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. The setup included non-functional cameras to make it seem official. Eventually, they asked for a $150 million bribe, to be paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets,” he alleged.
He also suggested that high-ranking officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, were aware of the situation. According to him, the meeting was initially presented as a discussion involving the NSA, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Disputing Binance-Related Allegations
Gambaryan dismissed the Nigerian government’s claims that Binance was responsible for facilitating $26 billion in illicit transactions. He argued that the amount referenced was simply cumulative trade data from Nigerian users and not money funneled out of the country.
“The $26 billion they kept referencing was misleading. It was just the total trading volume of Nigerian users on Binance, not stolen funds. For example, if someone trades $100 multiple times, it adds up in volume, but the actual money used remains the same. They knew this but twisted the facts to justify their flawed investigation,” he asserted.
Additionally, he disputed reports that another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, escaped detention during prayers at a mosque. While confirming that Anjarwalla fled, Gambaryan insisted that it did not happen as Nigerian authorities claimed.
Privacy Violations and Political Targeting
Gambaryan further accused Nigerian authorities of attempting to use Binance to breach international privacy laws by demanding user data on Nigerian accounts. He alleged that this was part of a broader effort to track opposition figures whom the government believed were manipulating the value of the naira.
“They wanted Binance to hand over sensitive user data to help them target political opponents. But they were fully aware that the naira’s depreciation was the direct result of President Tinubu’s monetary policy, which removed government control over currency exchange rates. Rather than admitting this, they chose to make Binance a scapegoat,” he alleged.
Ongoing Controversy
These explosive claims have reignited controversy over the Nigerian government’s handling of Binance’s case, raising concerns about corruption, due process, and the potential misuse of state power.
While Nigerian authorities have yet to officially respond, Gambaryan’s allegations have drawn further international attention to the dispute.
Leave a Reply