The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticized the Federal Government and House of Representatives approach to handling the $150 million bribery allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an American Binance executive.
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, urged the FG to approve an “independent investigation” into the allegations rather than outrightly dismissing them, especially as the claims continue to resurface.
Onwubiko made this known in a statement on Sunday.
Since Friday, there have been mixed reactions following Gambaryan’s bribery and “scapegoat” allegations against some Nigerian lawmakers and security officials.
Allegations and Counter-Allegations
Posting via his X account on Friday, Gambaryan stated that he visited Nigeria for a meeting with Nigerian lawmakers and relevant authorities.
He claimed he was allegedly told to comply with whatever the House members “instructed us to do.”
Gambaryan also named the lawmakers who allegedly demanded the bribe.
“At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name.
“They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in. As you may already know, this ended with them asking for a $150 million bribe, paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets. A Mickey Mouse operation at its best,” Gambaryan stated.
Gambaryan also maintained that the naira’s devaluation was allegedly a direct result of President Tinubu’s monetary policy, which pegged the naira to the dollar, rather than Binance’s role in currency fluctuations.
“I’m not saying this policy decision was wrong, but everyone understood that removing government intervention would lead to extreme devaluation,” he claimed.
He added that instead of acknowledging this, relevant authorities allegedly used Binance as a scapegoat.
FG Reacts
Reacting strongly to the allegations, Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, dismissed Gambaryan’s claims.
He further stated that Gambaryan’s second visit to Nigeria was part of a broader probe into the alleged criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through peer-to-peer platforms like Binance.
He stressed that Nigerian investigators were frustrated by the tactics employed by Gambaryan and his team, which led the government to reject Binance’s offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Gambaryan’s release. Instead, the government opted for a more comprehensive settlement with the American government.
“It is essential to note that Mr. Gambaryan’s allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice,” Idris added.
HURIWA Reacts
- Reacting to the development, Onwubiko argued that rather than dismissing Gambaryan’s allegations, as done by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, those accused of demanding bribes should institute a defamation case in Nigeria and be willing to present themselves in a U.S. court if Mr. Gambaryan files a suit there.
“We acknowledge the obvious fact that the legislators named as demanding bribes by Mr. Gambaryan have strenuously denied their involvement in the bribery scandal, and we don’t have contrary evidence to doubt them. However, the Federal Government should have empanelled an independent investigative body within Nigeria to expeditiously probe these disturbing allegations and make their findings public instead of simply issuing a media statement to debunk the claims,” he stated.
- Onwubiko further asserted that, given the potential damage to Nigeria’s global reputation caused by Gambaryan’s widely circulated allegations, the government should have responded with a forensic investigation rather than adopting a defensive stance.
- He also criticized the House of Representatives for merely refuting the claims and urged them to provide video evidence of the meeting with Gambaryan to dispel any doubts.
“What the Federal House of Representatives should do in this situation is refute the allegations by displaying, for Nigerians to see on public and private television, and video recordings of their meeting with Mr. Gambaryan in Nigeria,” he said.
- According to him, presenting such concrete evidence would deter Gambaryan from further publicizing his allegations against Nigerian lawmakers.
“We demand that the Federal House of Representatives counter these allegations by releasing video evidence of the sittings held by the House committee or subcommittee with Mr. Gambaryan,” Onwubiko stated.
HURIWA further urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the bribery allegations, now that the bribery claims have been repeated.
Onwubiko also called on the accused legislators and officials to sue Gambaryan for defamation in a Nigerian court immediately but also be prepared to appear in a U.S. court if required.
What you should know
- Nairametrics previously reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja discharged Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan from money laundering and foreign exchange violation charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 23, 2024. His discharge from the EFCC case was based on health concerns, as corroborated by the commission.
- When the Binance bribery allegations first surfaced nine months ago, Nigeria’s Ministry of Information and National Orientation insisted that the claims were part of an orchestrated international campaign by Binance to undermine the Nigerian government.
- Furthermore, the Federal Government stated that it would not succumb to “blackmail” and that the cryptocurrency firm must submit to Nigerian authorities for investigation and legal scrutiny in line with Nigerian laws and international norms.
- Binance is currently facing charges of tax evasion, money laundering, and foreign exchange violations before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
