Femi Adegolu, the founder and CEO of Bchain Africa, stated that the Nigerian government has detained Tigran Gambaryan, the head of financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange Binance, with "impunity" for more than 150 days. Adegolu shared his statement in an Aug. 13 post on X.
"It is now over 150 days since the Federal government detained Tigran Gambaryan the Binance executive," said Adegolu. "When does this impunity stop for God's sake? Are we running a military system in Nigeria under the guise of democracy?"
According to Reuters, Gambaryan's health continues to deteriorate in a Nigerian prison as he awaits trial for a money laundering charge. Due to a herniated disc in his back, Gambaryan was brought into a courtroom in a wheelchair in July. "His health is in a shockingly bad condition and getting worse by the day," said Gambaryan's wife, Yuki. "The herniated disc in his back has worsened to the point where it might leave permanent damage and affect his ability to walk." She also said Gambaryan has been denied adequate access to his legal team and hasn't been able to speak to his lawyers since July 26. His trial is scheduled for Oct. 11.
Bchain Africa Founder and CEO Femi Adegolu (left) and Binance Head of Financial Crime Compliance Tigran Gambaryan (right)
| LinkedIn/femiadegolu, LinkedIn/tigran-gambaryan
Nigerian authorities detained Gambaryan in February after inviting him to Abuja for policy meetings, The Guardian reported. Nigerian officials accused Binance, Gambaryan's employer, of manipulating the naira's exchange rate after hundreds of thousands of Nigerian citizens turned to cryptocurrency to protect their funds from the naira's volatility.
The Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BICCoN) said the Nigerian government's ongoing imprisonment of Gambaryan could damage international support for Nigeria. BICCoN stated that the situation calls for a "balanced approach" and urged the Nigerian government to consider the impact of Gambaryan's detention on emerging industries and other sectors. "To mitigate these risks and promote a thriving blockchain ecosystem, BICCoN urges the Nigerian government to prioritize constructive dialogue that will lead to a healthy conclusion of the matter," the organization said.
For ten years, Gambaryan was a U.S. federal agent who investigated cases related to "national security, terrorism financing, identity theft, distribution of child pornography, tax evasion, and bank secrecy act violations," according to Binance's website. Binance hired him in 2021 to help address historical compliance issues. In 2022 and 2023, his team assisted law enforcement agencies worldwide in freezing and seizing more than $2.2 billion worth of assets. The book "Tracers in the Dark" describes Gambaryan's career as a preeminent cybercrime investigator.
Adegolu founded Bchain Africa in 2023. The organization provides scholarships and resources for Web3 education throughout Africa. Adegolu is also a partner at the Blockchain for Good Alliance and a member of the International Council of Registered Blockchain Professionals.