Tigran Gambaryan, a top executive at Binance, has named Nigerian lawmakers who allegedly demanded a $150 million bribe from the cryptocurrency exchange. His claims, made on Friday, come months after the Nigerian government dismissed similar bribery allegations made by Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng.
Gambaryan’s claims come after his discharge from charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in October 2024. These charges, related to money laundering and foreign exchange violations, were dismissed due to health concerns.
Posting on his X platform, Gambaryan stated that during a visit to Nigeria, he met with lawmakers and government authorities. According to him, members of the House demanded a bribe during the meeting, which included three lawmakers—Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese (both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe), and a third House member who was not named.
Gambaryan claimed the lawmakers staged the meeting with fake cameras, which were not even plugged in, and ultimately requested the bribe of $150 million, to be paid in cryptocurrency to their personal wallets.
He further suggested that the devaluation of the naira was a direct result of President Tinubu’s monetary policy, which pegged the naira to the dollar, rather than Binance’s involvement in currency fluctuations. Gambaryan emphasized that while the policy may have been controversial, its consequences were well understood, and he believed that Binance was being used as a scapegoat.
The Nigerian government dismissed the bribery allegations as part of a broader campaign to discredit Binance. The Ministry of Information and National Orientation argued that the accusations were part of an international effort to undermine the Nigerian government. Additionally, the government stated that it would not submit to “blackmail” and insisted that Binance must face legal scrutiny in accordance with Nigerian and international laws.
Gambaryan’s latest comments on the naira’s devaluation are part of a larger, ongoing legal dispute between Binance and the Nigerian government. The company faces charges of tax evasion, money laundering, and foreign exchange violations in Nigerian courts, and all eyes are now on the legal proceedings to determine the outcome of these allegations.
