*Binance executive accuses three lawmakers of demanding $150m bribe from him
*Agbese kicks, demand evidence, threatens legal action
Olawale Ajimotokan and Juliet Akoje in Abuja
In a fit of outrage, the federal government has expressed anger at the misinformation and defamatory statements credited to Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance, who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.
In a statement last night, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris echoed concern about the unfounded allegations made by Gambaryan and asked the public to disregard the claims by the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at the cryptocurrency firm.
Gambaryan, who spent eight months in detention in Kuje Prison and in EFCC cell for allegedly laundering $35 million had alleged on his verified X handle that three Nigerian lawmakers demanded a bribe of $150 million from him. He specifically accused House members Philip Agbese, Ginger Onwusibe, and Peter Akpanke of demanding the large sum from him.
Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Agbese, in a swift reaction, denied allegations of bribery levelled against him by Gambaryan, demanding that he provide evidence or retract his claims within seven days or face legal action.
The Binance executive also accused the federal government of demanding data on its citizens from the cryptocurrency firm solely to target members of opposition political parties.
But Idris said although the Federal Government of Nigeria was hesitant to engage Gambaryan, given the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, the statement was nonetheless necessary just to set the records straight to stop Gambaryan’s falsehoods from gaining traction.
He said: “The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretionary on their part and government was not officially involved. However, when the attention of the government was called to an alleged bribery demand during that trip an investigation was immediately opened into it though there was no formal complaint by anyone.
“Mr. Gambaryan’s second visit to Nigeria was part of a wider probe into the criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through peer-to-peer platforms like Binance, but investigators were frustrated by the tactics deployed by Gambaryan and his team.
“Mr. Gambaryan was released by the Nigerian government in October 2024 on humanitarian grounds and following a high-level diplomatic intervention that ended with tangible benefits for Nigeria. The government rejected Binance’s offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Mr. Gambaryan’s freedom, in favour of a more beneficial settlement with the American government
“We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Mr. Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public to disregard these false accusations in their entirety.”
The minister added that it should be noted that Gambaryan’s allegations were not only unsubstantiated but also lacked credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.
“However, we are confident that both the Nigerian and American judicial systems will provide Mr. Gambaryan with a fair opportunity to substantiate his claims in court. Until then, we advise the public to exercise caution and not be swayed by Mr. Gambaryan’s unfounded and malicious claims,” he affirmed.
The Binance executive had claimed that the lawmakers in the House of Representatives demanded bribes to prevent security agencies from targeting him.
Ginger Onwusibe who represents Isiala Ngwa North/Isiala Ngwa South Federal Constituency of Abia State, chairs the House Committee on Anti-Corruption.
Gambaryan’s post on X read in part, “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 alluded to the fact that we had to comply with whatever the House members instructed us to do.
“At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name. 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 personal wallets. A Micky Mouse operation at its best.”
However, Agbese has denied allegations of bribery levelled against him.
Agbese in a statement yesterday, dismissed the claims as baseless and an attempt to tarnish his reputation.
“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,” he added.
He also clarified that he was not a member of the House Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes, explaining that his only interaction with Binance representatives occurred when he visited his colleague, Hon. Peter Ankpanke, during a meeting involving the committee.
“It was during this visit to Hon. Peter Ankpanke’s office, with Hon. Peter Anekwe present, that I learned they were interfacing with the Binance team over a referral to their committee. I never saw those visitors again after that chance meeting and did not attend any further meetings with Binance executives, the EFCC, or the DSS.”
Agbese emphasised that any further inquiries regarding the matter should be directed to the committee rather than him. He also stated categorically that he has no involvement with cryptocurrency.
“I have never used any cryptocurrency, as I do not have a crypto wallet anywhere in the world, so I could not have asked for funds to be credited to a non-existent wallet,” he added.
“Gambaryan and his associate, who escaped from prison, should return to the EFCC and defend themselves. Instead of trying to implicate me, they should focus on addressing the allegations against them. This is not the first time attempts have been made to smear my reputation. I will not allow baseless accusations to go unchallenged,” he concluded.
In the same vein, author and public commentator, Reno Omokri, yesterday said the allegation by Gambaryan was a ‘false flag operation’.
According to the former presidential spokesman, the move by Gambaryan was meant to distract Nigerians from revelations that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Boko Haram.
“The lies by Tigran Gambarya against Malam Nuhu Ribadu and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) are a deliberate distraction designed to deflect attention from the terror funding scandal involving USAID.
“Discerning Nigerians may have noticed that Mr. Gambaryan made his wild allegations precisely an hour after Republican US Congressman, Scott Perry, revealed that certain US high officials had been funding Boko Haram.
“Exactly an hour after Congressman Perry unveiled those revelations, Mr. Tigran Gambarya suddenly posted his false allegations on X. This is a man who has been roaming free in the United States for weeks. Why now? “ Omokri queried.
Omokri in a statement urged Nigerians to note that Gambaryan is a functionary of certain agencies who were involved in acts of economic sabotage against Nigeria, which included providing a platform for siphoning $25 billion out of Nigeria annually.
“Nigerians may also recall that after Binance was delisted by the government and ceased operating in Nigeria, the Naira rose sharply, appreciating by 36.4 per cent in one day. This caused President Bola Tinubu to issue a statement on video praising the ‘seismic shift’ of our currency, which had gone from N1598 to $1 on Thursday, March 21, 2024, to N1,382 to $1 the following day, Friday, March 22, 2024.
“It is, therefore, not surprising that Mr. Tigran Gambarya, who was a former agent, would now come out to make his fallacious claims just as it was revealed that some interests were funding terror in Nigeria through USAID, which Congressman Perry says was making multimillion dollar annual payments to Boko Haram at a time when the Obama and Biden regimes were refusing to sell weapons to Nigeria,” Omokri alleged.
Omokri pointed out that Ribadu remains an incorruptible Nigerian, having shown in the past as EFCC boss that he could not be bribed.
“Nuhu Ribadu is an incorruptible leader who, as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, refused a $15 million cash bribe in 2006 and instead deposited the funds at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“ Tigran Gambarya is an allegedly corrupt economic saboteur who worked against Nigeria’s economic interests for people who Congressman Perry has now exposed as funders of terror.
Who should you believe? The answer is obvious. This is a pure case of corruption fighting back!” Omokri concluded.
