-
US lawmakers accuse Nigeria of holding Binance executive “hostage” in Abuja.
-
Gambaryan was detained during a visit to discuss Binance’s compliance issues, with a colleague escaping detention.
-
Sixteen Republican congressmen, have urged President Biden to intervene for Gambaryan’s release.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that US lawmakers have accused Nigeria of holding Tigran Gambaryan, an executive from Binance Holdings Ltd, “hostage.” Gambaryan, a US citizen and head of financial crime compliance at Binance, has been detained in Abuja since April 2024.
This situation surfaced in February when Nigerian authorities detained Gambaryan and a colleague, who later escaped, during a visit to discuss the company’s compliance issues.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Trump’s Conviction Spurs Record Fundraising, Raises Nearly $53 Million
- NLC Confident Peter Obi Won’t Support Julius Abure As Labour Party Chairman
- Islamic Cleric Mufti Yaks Dies At 20 After Brief Illness
According to a report by Bloomberg, sixteen Republican congressmen, including Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, have urged President Joe Biden to assist in securing Gambaryan’s release.
The US lawmakers wrote to Biden to have the case of Gambaryan referred to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
The letter was addressed to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Roger Carstens, special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
“The charges against Mr Gambaryan are baseless and constitute a coercion tactic by the Nigerian government to extort his employer.
“Following these charges, Mr Gambaryan qualifies as a ‘U.S. Citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government”.
“After two rounds of meetings, which were described as starting professional and then becoming increasingly hostile, the government of Nigeria took Mr. Gambaryan hostage,” the lawmakers wrote.
FURTHER READING
- BREAKING: Ebonyi Primary Election Turns Chaotic, Scores Injured
- 7 Incredible Health Benefits Of Ginger
- IPOB Attacks In Abia: Identities Of Murdered Soldiers Disclosed
However, Bloomberg said Nigerian Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, rejected the allegation that the Binance executive had been wrongfully detained.
He said: “Nobody is being kept outside our laws and nobody’s life is in danger. They have committed a crime.”
Click below to watch our video of the week:
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
