Court dismisses ex-Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan’s unlawful detention suit

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by former Binance Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) over claims of unlawful and prolonged detention in Nigeria.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Umar Mohammed of the Abuja High Court dismissed the case, ruling that the court would not “interfere” with the prosecutorial duties of the Nigerian authorities. 

Gambaryan’s suit was filed under the guise of fundamental rights. In contrast, Justice Mohammed added that security agencies are constitutionally backed to investigate suspected foreign exchange violations and alleged money laundering involving the Binance platform. 

The former Binance Executive had earlier sought costs against the NSA and EFCC over his prolonged detention by security operatives.  

In June 2024, Gambaryan’s counsel, Tonye Krukrubo (SAN) and Sunday Agaji, informed the court of their amended originating motion seeking enforcement of their client’s fundamental rights in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/356/2024. Gambaryan’s lawyer had asked Justice Inyang Ekwo to compel the NSA and EFCC to apologise for his client’s detention in the country.

At Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC counsel  Olanrewaju Adeola told the court that Gambaryan was lawfully detained based on charges of money laundering and foreign exchange violations. He also described the suit of the former Binance chief as “ a gross abuse of court processes”.   

The EFCC’s position was upheld with the dismissal of the suit by the court. The judge also stated that Gambaryan provided no evidence showing he enjoys immunity from prosecution in Nigeria or under Nigerian law.

Also Read: Binance founder Changpeng Zhao accused of approving payments to Hamas.

Backstory of the Binance/Gambaryan case

Following the sudden crash of the Nigerian currency in May 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria accused Binance of involvement in disrupting the currency. As a result, the EFCC and FIRS separately sued Binance over alleged tax evasion, money laundering, and foreign exchange violations.

On his visit to Nigeria, Gambaryan was detained after the cryptocurrency company was accused of being involved in cybercrimes to the tune of about $35.4 million. Another executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, was held in custody alongside Gambaryan for several months. However, the former later escaped from detention.

After several back-and-forths surrounding his detention and push for release, Tigran Gambaryan, who has been held at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, since April 2024, was released in October 2024 due to his deteriorating health status and other diplomatic interventions. 

Gambaryan’s claims went beyond the charges. He alleged that some Nigerian lawmakers demanded a bribe of $150 million in cryptocurrency wallets to secure his release.

The Nigerian government swiftly denied the allegations. The Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, described them as “outrageous” and part of a “deliberate misinformation campaign”. He confirmed that Binance offered $5 million as a down payment for Gambaryan’s release, but the government rejected this.

Binance, on its part, said it was relieved by his eventual release and pledged to focus on compliance and its regulatory relationships. But Gambaryan left the firm in June 2025, marking the end of a turbulent chapter for him and the company.

In another development weeks ago, Tigran Gambaryan accused the Nigerian government of using his detention as leverage to extract a payout from the United States. He claimed that Nigerian authorities bragged about extorting the Biden administration out of $50 million to release him. 

His claims come amid deepening geopolitical tension between Nigeria and the United States.