President Joe Biden of the United States had a conversation with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria to express his gratitude for the release of Binance’s head of financial crime compliance on humanitarian grounds. This information was shared in a notice from the White House on October 29. President Biden thanked President Tinubu for his assistance in securing the release of Tigran Gambaryan, an American citizen and former US law enforcement official.
Gambaryan had been held in custody in Nigeria for approximately eight months before being allowed to leave the country on October 23. He was detained along with his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla on February 26 when they arrived in Abuja, the capital city, to discuss Binance’s activities and reports of suspicious flows at the exchange.
While Anjarwalla managed to escape custody and flee to Kenya in March, Gambaryan stayed behind to face charges of tax evasion and money laundering. Throughout his time at Kuje Prison, Gambaryan experienced various health issues, including pneumonia, malaria, and problems with his spine. Despite his medical condition, authorities repeatedly postponed hearings and denied him bail, arguing that he posed a risk of fleeing.
As a former IRS special agent, Gambaryan’s case attracted attention from international news outlets and government officials, many of whom believed that the allegations were targeted at Binance rather than its representatives. In September, a video emerged online showing Gambaryan struggling to walk to court, sparking outrage from individuals, including Binance CEO Richard Teng.
Teng expressed his concern in a post on September 3, stating, “This cruel treatment of Tigran must stop. He should be allowed to return home for medical treatment and to be with his family.”
In June, Nigerian authorities dropped the tax evasion charges against Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, and in October, the money laundering charges were also dropped. A spokesperson for Gambaryan’s family confirmed that he left the country within 24 hours of the final charges being dropped in order to seek medical treatment in the US.