President Joe Biden of the United States engaged in a conversation with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, expressing his gratitude for the release of Binance’s head of financial crime compliance on humanitarian grounds.
As per a notice from the White House on October 29, President Biden had a call with President Tinubu, during which he thanked the Nigerian leader for his assistance in securing the release of Tigran Gambaryan, an American citizen and former US law enforcement official, on humanitarian grounds.
Gambaryan, who had been in Nigerian custody for approximately eight months, was granted permission to leave the country on October 23.
Detained for eight months and repeatedly denied bail
Nigerian authorities apprehended Gambaryan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla on February 26 after their arrival in the capital city, Abuja, to discuss Binance’s operations and reports of suspicious activities at the exchange.
There were reports suggesting that Anjarwalla managed to escape custody in March and fled to Kenya, while Gambaryan stayed behind to face charges of tax evasion and money laundering.
During his time at Kuje Prison, Gambaryan faced numerous health issues, including pneumonia, malaria, and spinal problems, as reported by a family representative. Despite these challenges, authorities continuously postponed hearings and refused to grant bail to the Binance executive, citing concerns of him fleeing the country.
Gambaryan, a former IRS special agent, garnered attention from international media outlets and government officials, who believed that the allegations were primarily aimed at Binance rather than its representatives. In September, a video emerged online showing Gambaryan struggling to walk to the court, sparking outrage from various individuals, including Binance CEO Richard Teng.
Teng expressed his dismay in a September 3 post, stating, “This inhumane treatment of Tigran must come to an end. He should be allowed to return home for medical treatment and to be with his family.”
In June, Nigerian authorities dropped the tax evasion charges against Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, and in October, the money laundering charges were also dismissed. Following the final dropping of charges, a spokesperson for the Binance executive’s family confirmed that he left the country within 24 hours to seek medical treatment in the United States.