Former Binance executive and U.S. federal agent, Tigran Gambaryan, has publicly accused the Nigerian government of extorting the U.S. government of $50 million in exchange for his release from detention.
Gambaryan, who was detained in Nigeria for eight months on charges including money laundering and tax evasion related to Binance’s operations, made the claim on the social media platform X.
The crisis began in February 2024 when Gambaryan and a colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained upon arrival in Nigeria for discussions regarding regulatory scrutiny of Binance. Nigerian authorities later filed charges against both executives and the company, accusing them of money laundering and tax evasion. The detention was fraught, with Gambaryan’s family reporting serious health issues and denial of proper medical care.
In October 2024, a Nigerian court dropped the money-laundering charges against Gambaryan, due to his worsening health and diplomatic pressure at that time, leading to his release.
The former executive maintains his detention was not a legitimate legal matter but rather a coercive tool for financial and diplomatic leverage. He previously disputed a central bank figure, calling the $26 billion in alleged illicit outflows “complete BS.”
This claim of extortion follows an earlier allegation by Gambaryan that some Nigerian lawmakers demanded a $150 million cryptocurrency bribe for his freedom, an accusation the Nigerian government swiftly denied, as “outrageous” and a “deliberate misinformation strategy.”
The Nigerian government have previously denied similar allegations of bribery, though they have not yet officially responded to this specific $50 million claim.
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