In a lawsuit filed with the Federal High Court in Abuja, Tigran Gambaryan, Head of Financial Crime Compliance for cryptocurrency exchange Binance, is suing the Nigerian government for violating his fundamental human rights.
The lawsuit alleges that Gambaryan’s detention and passport seizure by the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are unconstitutional. Gambaryan is also seeking a public apology from both agencies.
According to local media reports, Gambaryan claims he was invited to Nigeria by the ONSA and EFCC to discuss Binance’s operations. He denies any wrongdoing and states he was not informed of any charges against him. Gambaryan suggests his detention is solely aimed at pressuring Binance for information.
This development follows the detention of Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, in February. The pair were detained during an investigation into cryptocurrency exchanges by Nigerian authorities. While a court order initially allowed the EFCC to hold them for 14 days without charges, this period was recently extended.
Anjarwalla reportedly escaped custody earlier this week and fled the country. Nigerian authorities are demanding information on Binance’s top users and their transaction history as part of the ongoing investigation. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has also filed separate tax evasion charges against Binance, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla.
