The case against Tigran Gambaryan: A response, by Mustapha Maikudi Abdullahi
The above-titled write-up appeared on Daily Trust on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The writer reacted to the claim of the one time detained Executive Officer of Binance in Nigeria, Tigran Gambaryan, that the sitting National Security Advisor (NSA) of Nigeria demanded bribe from them, for their release or to have soft-landing on their case with the Nigerian Federal Government.
According to the writer “Gambaryan’s allegations were not only reckless but transparently self-serving. They followed a well-worn script of individuals caught in legal trouble abroad: when all else fails, cry corruption.” Sir, with due respect, “when all else fails” why? It was the Nigerian government that granted these individuals bail, after mouse and cat play. Why did the Nigerian government agree to grant them bail? It is a million-dollar question that only the NSA and its principal can answer. Individuals that embarrass Nigerian sovereignty, will be granted bail after their rearrest! Initially they were placed under house arrest, despite the magnitude of their crimes.
Sir, what involves the Office of the NSA in legal prosecution? For what and why? These are some of the questions that raised serious curiosity to the public, as well as putting the NSA under question marks. Litigations of this kind are the purview of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and other relevant agencies, like the EFCC, ICPC, the Nigerian Police Force, and or State Security Service.
The writer went further by saying “For one, the timing of these claims raises serious doubts about his intent. Why did it take him eight months in detention before making these allegations? If there was any real evidence, why was it not presented earlier, either in court or to diplomatic representatives? Instead, his claims surfaced after Binance faced scrutiny and consequences for its alleged financial misconduct in Nigeria—suggesting a calculated move to distract from the company’s legal troubles.” Sir, all this brouhaha was of Nigerian creation as usual. If the NSA and the rest of the Tinubu regime are serious, why did they allow bail (house detention in the first place)? The money and the magnitude of the crime the NSA and the government are claiming is way more nefarious than what some perceived political enemies are alleged to commit, but the government is nail and tooth fighting their bail trial.
A case in reference here is that of Professor Usman, former NHIS boss. He was dragged to Kuje prison and remanded. Whatever this chaff is saying is the NSA and the federal government’s making, period. This is what we get when we have sycophants in positions of authority!
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Again, Mr. Ibrahim went further saying, “Furthermore, Gambaryan’s claim was riddled with factual inconsistencies. He suggested that Ribadu needed the alleged bribe to fund an election campaign. But there was no election in the period in question, nor has Ribadu publicly pursued any political ambitions that would require such funding. This single falsehood dismantles Gambaryan’s entire premise.”
Honestly sir, you’re also ridiculing yourself just as you claimed Gambaryan is doing. Sir, no politician ever raised politicking funding overnight. It has to be continuously planned and organised. Particularly for such office Ribadu is speculating to be eyeing. With this, as you said the NSA never declared his intention for elective office in Nigeria, kindly listen to ACCIDENTAL PUBLIC SERVANT.
An interesting and pertinent postulation by the writer was his saying “…The company has been under investigation and has faced penalties in multiple countries for alleged money laundering, unlicensed financial operations, and regulatory violations. Its troubles in Nigeria were not politically motivated but part of a broader global reckoning against its business practices.”
Sir, if Binance was under multiple investigations, could you kindly provide more details here? What is the nature of the cases? Which agencies are investigating them? What kind of penalties are imposed? Which agency or court imposed the penalties? Mr. Ibrahim, Gambaryan and Binance understand the weaknesses of the Nigerian state and use them to their advantage. Which country on earth would let a corporate firm to be carrying “unlicensed financial operations” within its territory? Any country that allows that will never be taken as a serious nation.
According to the writer “COTER (Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms) rightly pointed out that Binance has been banned and heavily fined in several countries for illegal financial activities.” Sir, could you kindly mention those countries where Binance was banned? What were the crimes they committed there? What fines are imposed on them? We can then compare their atrocities in those countries with Nigeria, and see how incompetent their crimes were handled in Nigeria or otherwise. We can easily compare the severity of their crimes in those countries you’re alleging with Nigeria, as well as compare the punishment in both countries. Then, we can see the full picture of Gambaryan’s claim on the NSA.
Sir, the biggest mistake the PBAT (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) regime made was involving the NSA in this matter; listen to Britain and the United States because these chaffs are dual citizens of these respective countries. If the regime handled this matter legally and professionally, all this drama would have been avoided. But for the regime luring Britain and the United States (for their mere endorsement of the so-called “REFORMS”), here we are.
Mr. Ibrahim, could you candidly endorse the NSA’s involvement in the litigation of Gambaryan and Binance, despite all the insecurity Nigeria is facing? Which is his core mandate and of uttermost importance to the regime and Nigerian citizenry? This is a classical misplaced priority of the PBAT regime.
Sir, just get the time and quantify the human and nonhuman energy, financial and other resources the NSA office committed to this case, and imagine allocating that to the insecurity bedevilling the country, and predict what the little outcome that would birth.
The writer went further by saying “In Nigeria, Binance’s operations were linked to economic sabotage, including currency manipulation and money laundering. These are serious allegations that go beyond mere regulatory infractions—they threaten national security and economic stability. It is, therefore, not surprising that the Nigerian government took decisive action against the company.”
Sir, this is imploding the incompetency of the PBAT regime. If Binance is involved in economic sabotage, currency manipulation and money laundering, did the handling of their case by the PBAT and the NSA tell us how professional both are in their dealing with the case? No! a serious country that caught a foreign firm engaged in sabotaging its economy and currency manipulation, that firm will pay the maximum prices as provided in their legal books, alas, Nigerian rulers are from supra atmosphere!
Mr. Ibrahim went further saying “If Gambaryan has evidence to support his claims, he should present it in a court of law, not on social media. Until then, his allegations remain what they appear to be—a desperate attempt to escape accountability.” What are you going to say about the NSA and Nigerian government that failed woefully to present their case in court? Despite all the claims of “economic sabotage, money laundering, and money manipulation” Nigerian authorities led by the NSA couldn’t nail and put Gambaryan behind bars to commensurate to his crimes, and in accordance with the Nigerian laws. Curiously, the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, is a trained and qualified LAWYER!
What Nigerian authorities should have done in this case was to let professional prosecutors handle the case from the time go. But due to scoring cheap political goals, some individuals meddled in it, and Nigeria ended with its own goal! I hope next time, the advisors advising the NSA will conduct their work diligently on what kind of cases they should be involved in, if they must be involved at all.
Mustapha Maikudi Abdullahi writes from Dallas, Texas
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