Arkansas State Rep. French Hill has called for stronger U.S. action in securing the release of Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS crypto investigator detained in Nigeria for six months. Hill warned that Nigeria’s wrongful detention of Gambaryan is jeopardizing U.S.-Nigeria relations and urged President Biden to engage directly to resolve the situation.
“Tigran Gambaryan is not being held by Iran or Russia - he is being held by our supposed friend, Nigeria,” Rep. Hill wrote in a Sept. 11 social media post on X. “We need to press harder. The Nigerian government must understand that the continued wrongful detention of Tigran is putting our relationship in jeopardy.”
Gambaryan, who now works for Binance, was arrested in February 2024 on disputed money laundering charges. Binance CEO Richard Teng has also called for Gambaryan’s release, warning that his detention could have long-term economic repercussions for Nigeria, particularly in attracting foreign investment. Despite these efforts, there has been little progress, and Gambaryan’s health continues to decline, with reports of squalid living conditions and lack of medical care.
During a House session, Rep. Hill expressed frustration over the U.S. government's lack of urgency in designating Gambaryan as wrongfully detained, criticizing Nigeria for treating him as a scapegoat amidst the country’s worsening economic crisis.
“I think the response to the government is embarrassing in Nigeria and I think while our ambassador is doing their best on the ground there, we need to press harder. We need the president engaged here,” Rep. Hill said on the House floor. “This is wrong. This is a dispute that is in no way involves Tigran Gambaryan and we're watching him decline in his health and it's a horrifying situation.”
Experts and business leaders have pointed to a pattern in Nigeria's hardline actions against foreign companies, particularly in the cryptocurrency sector. According to a BBC news article, Gambaryan's detention comes as Nigeria grapples with a deepening economic crisis, with soaring inflation and a plummeting naira, leading some to believe that Gambaryan is being used as a tool to deflect blame for the country’s financial troubles. U.S. lawmakers have continued to press for his humanitarian release, with more than 100 former federal agents and prosecutors signing a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging immediate intervention.