The Federal Government has urged the public to disregard the recent statements against government officials by Mr Tigran Gambaryan, one of the executives of Binance recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.
It would be recalled that Gambaryan, the former Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, has accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, of demanding billions of naira to fund his political ambition.
Gambaryan, an American citizen who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and arraigned on money laundering charges in 2024, alleged on X that Ribadu could not push through his demand for the bribe due to the exposure of the corruption scandal.
However, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said in a press statement he issued today that Gambaryan’s pronouncements were “outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements”.
Idris said: “While the Federal Government of Nigeria is hesitant to engage Mr. Gambaryan, given the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, we are obliged to set the records straight to stop his falsehoods from gaining grounds.
“The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretional on their part and Government was not officially involved.
“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.
“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.”
