Tigran Gambaryan, a former US federal agent and Binance employee, has made startling allegations against the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu following his release from detention in Nigeria.
Detained in February 2024 and released in October 2024 after the Nigerian government dropped money laundering charges against him following U.S. diplomatic pressure, Gambaryan claims that Ribadu demanded billions in payouts to fund his political ambitions.
He also alleges that Ribadu hired a U.S. law firm to negotiate his release, but the firm’s incompetence and greed led to the effort’s failure.
According to Gambaryan, Ribadu exceeded his authority and embarrassed Nigeria before former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, resulting in diplomatic fallout.
He claims this led the U.S. to restrict visas for the Nigerian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly and that then President Joe Biden declined to meet with President Tinubu until the matter was resolved.
Providing insight into the meeting, he claimed the officials were driven by greed and stated, “Ribadu emphasised that he wanted billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition”.
He noted that when the corruption scandal came to light, “he was trapped—because any settlement would now be perceived as a bribe. I guess he really wanted his boss’ job”.
SaharaReporters had reported that Gambaryan, a US national, who was detained on February 26, 2024, was released on October 23, after the government dropped the money laundering charges filed against him through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, discharged Gambayran on health grounds.
The EFCC had informed the court that the case could not proceed on the last adjourned date due to Gambayran’s health condition.
The Commission stated that a report from the Nigerian Correctional Service, through the Office of the NSA, indicated that Gambayran’s health had deteriorated to the extent that he could hardly walk without the assistance of a wheelchair, in addition to suffering from other health issues.
But in a statement posted on his X account on Friday, Gambaryan said Ribadu hired a U.S. law firm to negotiate “my release, but this failed due to their incompetence and greed”.
According to him, Ribadu overstepped his authority and embarrassed Nigeria in front of former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
He said, “Ribadu acting like an asshole angered the White House and led to diplomatic repercussions”, which he said led to the United States’ limited visas to the Nigerian delegation for United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and Biden’s refusal to meet with Tinubu until “my situation was resolved”.
Gambaryan said “in the end, Ribadu overestimated his influence. They thought they could secure a quick win, but instead, they created an international incident, exposing his incompetence on a global scale.
“That’s it’s for me for now. I don’t want to dwell on this, but it’s important for Nigerians to get the facts. I met amazing people in Nigeria. It’s a shame that these muppets are in charge.”
He, however, explained that Nigeria’s secret police Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in the House of Representatives matter.
In early 2024, Gambaryan travelled to Nigeria to address regulatory concerns between Binance and the Nigerian government. During this visit, Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained by Nigerian authorities on allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.
Anjarwalla managed to escape and leave Nigeria.
Gambaryan was held in Kuje Prison for eight months under harsh conditions, including severe health issues. He was eventually released in late 2024 following diplomatic interventions from the U.S. government.