The ongoing saga between the Nigerian government and Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan has taken a fresh turn, with Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, vehemently dismissing Gambaryan’s bribery allegations as falsehoods. Idris urged Nigerians to disregard the claims, stating that they were baseless and aimed at misleading the public.
This latest confrontation comes after Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent and Binance compliance officer, accused top Nigerian officials of soliciting a $150 million bribe to facilitate his release while he was incarcerated at Kuje Prison in Abuja. He made the explosive allegations in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following his release in October 2024, after months of detention since February.
Reacting to the accusations, Minister Idris released a statement on X on Friday, dismissing Gambaryan’s claims as defamatory and “outrageous.” He insisted that the Nigerian government did not seek any bribes and, in fact, rejected Binance’s alleged offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Gambaryan’s freedom.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria notes with concern the outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes,” Idris stated.
He further asserted that Gambaryan’s visit to Nigeria was initially voluntary but later became part of an investigation into alleged financial crimes. According to Idris, the probe centered on the suspected criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through Binance’s peer-to-peer trading platform.
“The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretionary on their part, and the government was not officially involved. However, when reports of an alleged bribery demand surfaced, an investigation was immediately launched, despite no formal complaints being made.
Mr. Gambaryan’s second visit was directly tied to an ongoing investigation into illicit currency manipulation, but investigators encountered deliberate obstruction from him and his team,” the minister said.
He reiterated that Gambaryan was eventually released on humanitarian grounds after diplomatic intervention from the U.S. government.
Unimpressed by the minister’s response, Gambaryan fired back on X, accusing the Nigerian government of distorting facts and attempting to cover up the events surrounding his detention.
“Maybe you should take the time to get your facts straight before posting,” he lashed out. “I was invited by the Nigerian FIU to a meeting in January. Last time I checked, they are part of the Nigerian government. House members also invited us to the meeting. Last time I checked, the legislative branch is also part of the Nigerian government.”
He went further, alleging that Nigerian authorities misrepresented the nature of the meetings and fabricated charges against him.
“You said the second part was part of a probe? Lol. So when you invited us to a friendly meeting, you even lied about that? A tactic deployed by Gambaryan and his team? What are you talking about? I was in a safe house for a month, watching TV, while you were trying to use me as leverage. You then panicked and knowingly charged me with blatantly false accusations,” he wrote.
Despite the heated exchanges, Minister Idris challenged Gambaryan to prove his claims in court, asserting that both Nigerian and American judicial systems would ensure fairness.
“We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Mr. Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public to disregard these false accusations in their entirety,” Idris said.
However, Gambaryan appeared skeptical of the government’s legal process, questioning why Nigerian authorities failed to present their case during his human rights suit in Abuja.
“You mean like last time, when your attorneys didn’t even show up to the human rights suit in Abuja? Get your facts straight. I am done with this foolishness,” he retorted before announcing that he was leaving social media for good.
With both sides standing their ground, the controversy surrounding Binance’s operations in Nigeria and the alleged bribery scandal is far from over. While Gambaryan insists on exposing what he describes as government corruption, the Nigerian authorities remain firm in dismissing his claims as fabrications.
As the battle of narratives continues, legal proceedings may be the next battleground where the truth—or at least a resolution—will emerge.
PIONEER NEWS 