A senior Binance executive has publicly accused Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and three lawmakers of attempting to extort $150 million in bribes during his detention in Nigeria earlier this year.
Tigran Gambaryan, head of financial crime at Binance, made the allegations in a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. He named Representatives Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese, and Ginger Obinna Onwusibe as the lawmakers who allegedly demanded cryptocurrency payments to their personal wallets.
According to Gambaryan, the lawmakers staged what he called a “Mickey Mouse operation” with unplugged cameras to make their meeting appear official. He claims the Department of State Services (DSS) was complicit, telling Binance they “had to comply with whatever the House members instructed us to do.”
In particularly serious allegations against NSA Ribadu, Gambaryan claimed the security chief sought “billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition.” He further alleged that Ribadu’s handling of the situation created diplomatic tensions with the United States, resulting in visa restrictions for Nigeria’s UN General Assembly delegation and affecting a potential meeting between President Biden and Nigerian President Tinubu.
The accusations come in the aftermath of Gambaryan’s detention in Nigeria from February to October 2024, alongside colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla, over allegations of money laundering and currency devaluation. While Anjarwalla escaped custody, Gambaryan was eventually released after U.S. government intervention and the dropping of charges by Nigerian authorities.
Gambaryan also disputed the official Nigerian government account of Anjarwalla’s escape, though he stated he doesn’t know the exact details of how his colleague managed to flee.
Neither Ribadu nor the named lawmakers have yet responded to these allegations.
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