The Federal Government has dismissed allegations that Tigran Gambaryan, a United States Binance executive currently in custody at Kuje Correctional Service, is experiencing deteriorating health.
Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, issued a statement on Friday rebutting the claims and clarifying the circumstances surrounding Gambaryan’s detention.
The statement comes in response to recent assertions made by two US Members of Congress, Representative French Hill (Republican) and Representative Chrissy Houlahan (Democrat), who visited Gambaryan at the Kuje Detention facility on June 19 and subsequently advocated for his release.
They posted a video of their visit on social media platform X.
During their visit to the prison, Hill and Houlahan reported that Gambaryan is suffering from severe health issues including malaria and double pneumonia, and has lost significant weight.
They also highlighted concerns that Gambaryan was being denied adequate medical attention.
“I am deeply troubled by the conditions Tigran is enduring in Kuje Prison,” Hill stated.
“It’s unacceptable that he is suffering from serious health ailments without proper medical care.”
The Federal Government recently dropped tax evasion charges against Gambaryan, a development Hill acknowledged.
Gambaryan, along with Binance, faces charges brought by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) related to allegations of money laundering and foreign exchange contraventions.
Idris emphasized that Gambaryan’s detention is lawful and based on a court order, with provisions made for his healthcare needs.
“It has become necessary for the Federal Government of Nigeria to address claims that Binance Executive, Tigran Gambaryan is being held in unsavoury prison conditions in Nigeria, or that his health is deteriorating,” Idris stated.
While acknowledging Gambaryan’s access to quality medical care and consular services from the US government, Idris underscored Nigeria’s commitment to upholding legal and diplomatic standards throughout the judicial process.
“The Federal Government will continue to follow due process in its quest to bring Binance to justice,” he affirmed.
Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki, had appealed for his release, drawing support from Hill and Houlahan who highlighted Gambaryan’s background in combating money laundering and tax evasion during his tenure as an IRS Special Agent.
On Friday, Abdulkadir Abbas, a director at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), continued testifying in the EFCC’s case against Binance and Gambaryan.
Abbas reiterated that Binance was not registered to operate in Nigeria and highlighted concerns about its impact on the official exchange rate through its Naira P2P feature.
The matter was adjourned to July 1 for further cross-examination.
Gambaryan and his colleague Anjarwalla face separate legal challenges from the FIRS and EFCC, with the latter persisting in its allegations of money laundering involvement against the Binance executives.
