Binance Executive Accuses Nigerian Lawmakers of $150M Bribery Demand, Lawmakers Deny Allegations Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, has made a shocking allegation against three Nigerian lawmakers, claiming they demanded a $150 million bribe while he was in detention.
Gambaryan, who spent eight months in Nigerian custody over alleged money laundering, revealed in a post on X that the lawmakers—Philip Agbese, Ginger Onwusibe, and Peter Akpanke—tried to extort him under the guise of an official meeting.
According to Gambaryan, the incident took place on January 5, 2024, when he was set to meet with the House of Representatives members after a discussion with the Department of State Services (DSS). He claimed that the DSS hinted Binance had to comply with whatever the lawmakers requested.
“At the House meeting, three members were present—Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese, and Ginger Obinna Onwusibe,” Gambaryan wrote.
“They staged fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in.
The meeting ended with them demanding a $150 million bribe, to be paid in cryptocurrency to their personal wallets. A Mickey Mouse operation at its best.”
Philip Agbese, who serves as the Deputy Spokesman of the House, swiftly denied the claims, calling them baseless and demanding proof.
“I was not part of any meeting with any Binance executive regarding money for any purpose.
The leadership of the committee took the matter to court, and Binance has already apologized,” Agbese told PUNCH Online.
He also emphasized that he is not a member of the House Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes and had only a brief encounter with Binance representatives while visiting a colleague’s office.
“I have never used cryptocurrency and do not own a crypto wallet anywhere in the world.
I could not have asked for funds to be sent to a non-existent wallet,” he added, warning that Gambaryan must present evidence or face legal action.
Meanwhile, Ginger Onwusibe, who chairs the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, declined to comment, stating that the matter was already in court. Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained in Nigeria over allegations of laundering $35 million, as charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Anjarwalla later escaped custody in March 2024, while Gambaryan was eventually released after intervention from the U.S. government. With these fresh allegations of corruption, the controversy surrounding Binance’s dealings in Nigeria has taken a new turn, setting the stage for a legal and political showdown.
