The Federal Government of Nigeria has strongly refuted the “outrageous falsehoods” being spread by Tigran Gambaryan, an American Binance executive, regarding his detention and legal battles in Nigeria.
Gambaryan was apprehended and tried over allegations of financial crimes has since launched a public offensive, making explosive accusations against Nigerian officials.
In a post on X, he blamed National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for his unlawful arrest and also identified three Nigerian lawmakers who allegedly demanded a bribe of $150m from him.
But the FG in a statement issued on Friday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described Gambaryan’s claims as “misleading, defamatory, and entirely unsubstantiated”, urging the public to disregard them.
The Minister described Gambaryan’s claims as a deliberate misinformation campaign.
“While the Federal Government of Nigeria is reluctant to engage Mr. Gambaryan, due to the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, we are compelled to set the record straight to prevent his falsehoods from gaining traction.
“The first visit of Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was at their own discretion, and the Government was not officially involved.
“However, when the Government’s attention was drawn to an alleged bribery demand during that trip, an investigation was immediately launched, despite there being no formal complaint from anyone.
“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.
“Mr. 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.
“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.
“It is essential to note that Mr. Gambaryan’s allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.
“However, we are confident that both the Nigerian and American judicial systems will provide Mr. Gambaryan with a fair opportunity to substantiate his claims in court.
“Until then, we advise the public to exercise caution and not be swayed by Mr. Gambaryan’s unfounded and malicious claims.”
