Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has described the recent allegations by Tigran Gambaryan against Nigerian govt officials as a ‘false flag’ operation designed to divert public attention from fresh claims that the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, allegedly funded Boko Haram.
In a statement on Thursday via his verified X account, Omokri highlighted the suspicious timing of Gambaryan’s accusations, noting that they came exactly one hour after U.S. Congressman Scott Perry revealed that some American officials had been channelling funds to Boko Haram.
Omokri questioned why Gambaryan, a detained Binance executive, chose this moment to make his accusations despite having spent weeks in the U.S. before his arrest.
“This is a man who has been roaming free in the United States for weeks. Why now?” Omokri asked, suggesting that Gambaryan was working for foreign agencies engaged in economic sabotage against Nigeria, including facilitating the illegal outflow of $25 billion annually through Binance’s platform.
“Nigerians may also recall that after Binance was delisted by the government and ceased operating in Nigeria, the naira rose sharply, appreciating by 36.4% in one day.
“This prompted President Tinubu to issue a statement on video praising the ‘seismic shift’ of our currency, which had gone from N1,598 to $1 on Thursday, 21 March 2024, to N1,382 to $1 the following day, Friday, 22 March 2024,” Omokri noted.
Omokri linked Gambaryan’s claims to an attempt to cover up recent allegations that USAID had made multimillion-dollar annual payments to Boko Haram.
He stated that these payments allegedly occurred at a time when the Obama and Biden administrations refused to sell weapons to Nigeria, suggesting a deliberate effort to weaken Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
Omokri also came to the defence of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, describing him as an incorruptible leader.
“Malam Nuhu Ribadu is an incorruptible leader who, as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, refused a $15 million cash bribe in 2006 and instead deposited the funds at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Tigran Gambaryan is an allegedly corrupt economic saboteur who worked against Nigeria’s economic interests for people whom Congressman Perry has now exposed as funders of terror.
“Who should you believe? The answer is obvious. This is a pure case of corruption fighting back,” Omokri concluded.
