The Federal Government has dismissed allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and Binance executive facing trial in Nigeria for financial crimes.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, condemned his claims as “outrageous falsehoods” and urged the public to dismiss them completely.
Idris in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, expressed concern over what it described as a deliberate misinformation campaign by Gambaryan.
The statement, entitled “Disregard Falsehoods Being Peddled by Tigran Gambaryan against Nigerian Government Officials – FG”, reads, “The government of Nigeria expresses deep concern over the outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American staff member at Binance who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.”
Refuting Gambaryan’s allegations of a bribery attempt, the government stressed that his initial visit to Nigeria was undertaken solely at his own discretion and lacked any official government endorsement.
“Once the alleged incident was brought to the government’s attention, an investigation was promptly initiated. Officials noted that Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues made their initial visit to Nigeria entirely on their own, with no official government involvement.
“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,” Government clarified.
Gambaryan’s second visit, the Government explained, was tied to a broader investigation into the alleged criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through peer-to-peer platforms like Binance.
However, authorities claimed that their efforts were hindered by what they called obstructionist tactics.
“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,” the statement added.
The statement also sought to clarify the circumstances surrounding Gambaryan’s release in October 2024, asserting that it was a goodwill gesture on humanitarian grounds following negotiations with the U.S. government.
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,” it said.
The Government dismissed Gambaryan’s latest accusations, asserting that they lacked both credibility and substance.
“We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public to disregard these false accusations in their entirety,” the statement read.
The Government argued that Gambaryan’s actions were aimed at “discrediting and intimidating” those who held him accountable for his alleged financial misconduct.
“It is crucial to stress that Mr. Gambaryan’s claims are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his clear intent to discredit and intimidate those responsible for ensuring he faced justice,” the Government stated.
Nonetheless, Nigerian officials expressed confidence in the judicial systems of both Nigeria and the United States, emphasising that Gambaryan would have his day in court.
The statement added, “We are confident that both the Nigerian and American judicial systems will give Mr. Gambaryan a fair opportunity to prove his claims. Until then, we advise the public to remain cautious and not be swayed by his unfounded and malicious allegations.”
Gambaryan, who spent eight months in a Nigerian detention facility over allegations of corruption, has accused three Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe from him. Nigerian authorities detained him along with his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla—a 37-year-old British Kenyan who serves as the regional manager for Africa at Binance.
Additionally, Gambaryan refuted claims made by the Central Bank of Nigeria regarding an alleged outflow of $26 billion from the Country through the crypto exchange platform.
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