US Lawmakers Visit Binance Executive Detained in Nigeria, Raise Concerns About His Health
US lawmakers French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan recently paid a visit to Kuje Prison in Nigeria, where Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan is currently being held. Hill took to social media to shed light on Gambaryan’s wrongful detention in what he described as a “horrible prison,” and expressed concerns about the executive’s deteriorating health conditions. Despite suffering from malaria, double pneumonia, and significant weight loss, Gambaryan is reportedly being denied adequate medical care.
During the visit, Hill also highlighted the irony of Gambaryan’s situation, as he is facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion, which he has actively fought against. Hill called for Gambaryan’s immediate humanitarian release, emphasizing that he should be allowed to return home to the United States. Gambaryan, who is a US citizen and heads Binance’s financial crime compliance department, was arrested along with Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa. However, Anjarwalla managed to escape custody on March 22.
This visit by US lawmakers is part of a broader effort by politicians and former federal agents to secure Gambaryan’s release. Letters have been sent to the State Department advocating for his release, and Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan, expressed her confusion and frustration over his continued detention. She urged the US government to intensify its efforts to bring her husband back home, believing that more could be done by the State Department to secure the release of an innocent American citizen.
Meanwhile, Gambaryan’s legal troubles in Nigeria are escalating, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has resumed its money laundering case against Binance and Gambaryan. Witnesses, including Abdulkabir Abbas, a Director with Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), were cross-examined during the session. Abbas testified that Binance had failed to register with his office before commencing operations in the country. Last year, the Nigerian SEC declared Binance’s operations illegal and warned the public against using the platform.
It is worth noting that Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were recently cleared of tax evasion charges by a court ruling on June 14. The charges were initially filed against them by the FIRS in March 2024, alleging that they had failed to pay taxes on cryptocurrency transactions worth billions of naira. Binance was also accused of not paying value-added tax, company tax, and failing to file tax returns.
The Nigerian government has been cracking down on cryptocurrency trading platforms, accusing them of influencing foreign exchange rates. The EFCC is separately prosecuting Binance and its executives over alleged money laundering and foreign exchange contravention. The detention of the Binance executives came after the Nigerian government banned cryptocurrency channels as part of a campaign against currency speculation. The devaluation of the Naira and a shortage of dollars locally have further complicated the situation, with the Naira losing 70% of its value against the dollar since last year’s foreign exchange reforms.