The Biden administration is facing mounting pressure to take immediate action in securing the release of Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent and executive at Binance, as well as another Binance executive named Nadeem Anjarwalla. These individuals have been detained by the Nigerian government since February 26, 2024, without their passports. The U.S. Chamber of Digital Commerce has made a plea for urgent diplomatic intervention, claiming that their detention is arbitrary and lacks due process, setting a concerning precedent for American entrepreneurs abroad, particularly those in the cryptocurrency industry.
Nigeria, an ally of the United States and a recipient of over $1 billion in U.S. foreign aid annually, is at the center of this controversy. Reports first emerged in late February about the apprehensions of Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, although the executives were not explicitly named at the time. Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, who holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and Kenya, traveled to Abuja on February 25 in response to an invitation from the Nigerian government to discuss the ongoing dispute between Binance and the country. Nigerian officials had directed telecom providers to restrict access to Binance and other cryptocurrency exchanges, citing concerns about the devaluation of the Nigerian currency and illicit financial flows facilitated by these platforms.
However, instead of reaching a resolution during their meeting with Nigerian officials the following day, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were taken to their hotels, instructed to gather their belongings, and transported to a “guesthouse” managed by Nigeria’s National Security Agency, according to their families. These arrests occurred just days before Binance officially announced its exit from Nigeria on March 5.
The detention of Gambaryan and Anjarwalla has raised significant concerns about their treatment and the potential risks faced by American entrepreneurs operating abroad, particularly in the cryptocurrency industry. The U.S. Chamber of Digital Commerce is calling for swift action to address this injustice and uphold international law norms and diplomatic relations. As the situation unfolds, the Biden administration faces increasing pressure to secure the release of these individuals and address the troubling precedent set by their detention.