Binance exec Tigran Gambaryan suffered 8 months in Nigerian jail, accused of financial crimes, denied medical care, and extorted for $150M.
A few months back, a blurry courtroom video from Nigeria went viral—showing Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, limping on a crutch, being dragged to court by security officers. Frustrated and in pain, he shouted, “This is so f***ed up.” That video exposed the harsh reality of his eight-month detention.
Tigran, an American citizen and former Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, was arrested in Nigeria after being invited to a governmental meeting. He was accused of money laundering and tax evasion, but insists that Nigerian officials hired him as a scapegoat to blackmail Binance for $150 million. Even though Nigeria subsequently dropped the charges of money laundering, they continue to assert that Binance processed $26 billion in unreported crypto transactions.
During his 214-day ordeal, Tigran’s health suffered—his physicians had to proceed in a rush to repair a bulging disc, but the authorities delayed the surgery. Meanwhile, his relatives were suffering and, with emotional videos, his wife and mother were crying. His case still lingered in political and court drama, adding to the threats to his life.
Now at last back in the U.S. after getting out on medical bail, Tigran is coming forward—calling his arrest a nightmare and demanding accountability for what he experienced.
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