Tigran Gambaryan Criticizes Nigerian Authorities for Scapegoating Binance
Tigran Gambaryan, the former Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, has spoken out against the Nigerian government for unfairly targeting the exchange as a scapegoat for the country’s economic challenges.
After being released from detention in Nigeria, Gambaryan accused Nigeria’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu of focusing on pressuring Binance instead of addressing corruption allegations involving government officials.
He claimed that Ribadu and his associates prioritized going after the exchange rather than investigating allegations of misconduct within the government.
Gambaryan stated, “Ribadu was more interested in shaking down billions from a crypto company to cover for terrible economic decisions than in going after corrupt legislative members.”
He also criticized Ribadu, saying, “Whatever honor [Ribadu] had is gone. He has brought shame to the badge.”
These comments mark Gambaryan’s first public statements since his release in October 2024, following his detention on money laundering allegations and accusations of causing market manipulation that affected the local Naira currency.
Allegations of Bribery
Gambaryan’s criticism comes amid reports of a bribery attempt involving Nigerian officials demanding a $150 million bribe in crypto to resolve Binance’s regulatory issues. Gambaryan described his detention as life-threatening, with severe health deterioration and extreme weight loss during the ordeal.
The Nigerian government denied the bribery allegations, dismissing them as false and an attempt to undermine legal proceedings. However, Gambaryan claimed to have reported the bribery attempt to the NSA and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He stated, “I already reported this to the EFCC and ONSA. I told them several times.”
Overall, Gambaryan’s criticism sheds light on the challenges faced by crypto exchanges operating in certain jurisdictions and the complexities of regulatory environments in the digital asset space.