Gambaryan further alleged that during their meeting, the lawmakers explicitly demanded that Binance pay $150 million in cryptocurrency to their personal digital wallets.
The Binance executive, who was detained in Nigeria from February to October 2024, stated that he and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, had been arrested upon their arrival in the country for discussions with government officials.
While Anjarwalla later escaped custody in March 2024, Gambaryan remained behind to face legal proceedings.
The Nigerian government had accused Binance of foreign exchange (FX) manipulation, claiming its operations were negatively affecting the country’s economy.
In his social media post on X, Gambaryan disclosed that he and Anjarwalla first met with officials from the Department of State Services (DSS) in January 2024 before engaging with lawmakers. He claimed that DSS officials advised them to comply with the lawmakers’ demands.
“At the House meeting, there were three members present. They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in,” Gambaryan wrote.
“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.”
In May 2024, Binance CEO Richard Teng also claimed that unidentified individuals in Nigeria demanded $150 million in cryptocurrency to settle the company’s legal issues in the country.
The Nigerian government, however, dismissed the allegations, accusing Binance of trying to blackmail the nation.
