Months after his release, Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive has accused three Nigerian lawmakers of soliciting bribe
Tigran Gambaryan, the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at leading cryptocurrency firm Binance, has made a startling accusation against three Nigerian lawmakers.
According to an X post, Gambaryan alleged that they demanded a $150 million bribe while he was in detention.
The Executive’s Allegation and Reaction
In his account of the ordeal on social media, Gambaryan, who spent eight months in custody over money laundering, specifically mentioned Philip Agbese, Ginger Onwusibe, and Peter Akpanke in the alleged bribery attempt.
“They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in. As you may already know, this ended with them asking for a $150m bribe, paid in cryptocurrency into their wallets. A Micky Mouse operation at its best.” Gambaryan posited.
Some Unknown Facts- you can read the rest in the Wired article and the NPR story.
The DSS was involved in the House of Representatives matter. We met with them at their office on Friday, January 5, 2024, as a prerequisite to our meeting with the House of Representatives. They…
— Tigran Gambaryan (@TigranGambaryan) February 14, 2025
While responding to the accusations, Agbese, also the Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, dismissed the allegations, stating that they were baseless and unsupported by evidence.
“I am outraged by the false allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, claiming that I was among those who demanded a $150m bribe from him.
“These allegations are false. I was not part of any meeting with any Binance executive regarding money for any purpose. The leadership of the committee took the matter to court, and Binance has already apologised.”
The law marker also clarified that he is not a member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He said his only conversation with the Binance group was during a visit to a colleague’s office, This he noted had nothing to do with financial negotiations.
Meanwhile, Onwusibe, who chairs the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, declined to comment, citing the case’s ongoing legal proceedings. Efforts to obtain a statement from Akpanke were unsuccessful.
Binance vs. Nigerian Authorities: A Growing Rift
It is worth noting that this controversy is the latest episode in a continuous rift between Binance and Nigerian authorities.
Recall that Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were presumably detained unlawfully in February 2024 over allegations of initiating $35 million in money laundering.
While Anjarwalla later escaped custody in March, reports indicate that he fled the guest house where he was being held in Abuja to Kenya. He allegedly escaped from security operatives who had taken him to a nearby mosque for Friday prayers during the Ramadan fast.
Unfortunately, Gambaryan remained imprisoned until the Nigerian government dropped all money laundering charges against him.
Similarly, the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been scrutinizing Binance for allegedly enabling illegal financial transactions, though the company maintains its operations comply with regulatory requirements.
With both sides standing their ground, the situation remains tense. Gambaryan insists lawmakers sought payment in cryptocurrency. However, the accused officials deny any wrongdoing and threaten legal action if no proof emerges.
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