A Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, has accused three Nigerian federal lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe from him while he was in detention in Nigeria.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Gambaryan claimed that the lawmakers—Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese, and Ginger Obinna Onwusibe—set up a meeting where they allegedly requested the bribe in cryptocurrency, to be deposited into their personal wallets.
Gambaryan was detained in Nigeria in January 2024, alongside another Binance official, Nadeem, over allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, and facilitating financial crimes. While Nadeem later escaped custody, Gambaryan remained detained until the Nigerian government dropped charges against him following U.S. government intervention and concerns over his deteriorating health.
According to Gambaryan, the alleged bribery demand took place during a staged meeting in which fake cameras were set up to make the proceedings appear official. He further alleged that Nigerian authorities attempted to use Binance to justify the country’s economic struggles, claiming that officials pressured the platform to release user data on Nigerians to target opposition members accused of manipulating the naira’s value.
“The $26 billion figure they kept pushing publicly as some mystery money escaping Nigeria is complete BS. This information was provided in response to their request and was simply cumulative trade data for Nigerians on the platform. This money didn’t leave Nigeria—it was just people buying and selling crypto,” Gambaryan stated.
He also claimed that Nigerian authorities misled the U.S. and British governments, falsely presenting his detention as voluntary participation in strategic discussions.
The allegations have sparked controversy, with Nigerians calling for an investigation into the claims. The accused lawmakers are yet to respond to the accusations.
