US Lawmakers Visit Nigerian Prison, Advocate for Detained Binance Executive’s Release

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US Representatives French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan recently visited Kuje Prison in Nigeria to check on the condition of detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan. Gambaryan, who serves as Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, has been held under dire conditions, raising significant health and humanitarian concerns.

In a social media post on June 20, Hill described Gambaryan’s detention as “wrongful” and the conditions at Kuje Prison as “horrible.” He emphasized the serious health issues Gambaryan is facing, including malaria, double pneumonia, and substantial weight loss, highlighting the lack of adequate medical care provided to him.

“We found him suffering from the conditions at the Kuje prison… Even worse, he’s being denied access to adequate medical attention,” Hill stated, calling for Gambaryan’s immediate humanitarian release to return home to the United States.

Gambaryan, a US citizen, was detained along with Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa. Anjarwalla managed to escape custody on March 22. Gambaryan’s detention has sparked a concerted effort by US politicians and former federal agents to secure his release. Letters advocating for his release have been sent to the State Department, and his wife, Yuki Gambaryan, has publicly urged the US government to intensify its efforts, expressing frustration over his continued detention.

Meanwhile, Gambaryan’s legal issues in Nigeria persist. On June 20, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) resumed its money laundering case against Binance and Gambaryan. During the session, witnesses, including Abdulkabir Abbas, a Director with Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), testified that Binance had failed to register with the SEC before commencing operations in the country. The Nigerian SEC had previously declared Binance’s operations illegal and warned the public against using the platform.

Notably, on June 14, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were cleared of tax evasion charges. These charges were initially filed in March 2024 by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), alleging failure to pay taxes on cryptocurrency transactions worth billions of naira. Binance was accused of not paying value-added tax, company tax, and failing to file tax returns.

The Nigerian government has been actively cracking down on cryptocurrency trading platforms, citing their influence on foreign exchange rates. The EFCC is separately prosecuting Binance and its executives for alleged money laundering and foreign exchange violations. This crackdown follows the Nigerian government’s ban on cryptocurrency channels as part of a broader campaign against currency speculation. The ongoing devaluation of the Naira, which has lost 70% of its value against the dollar since last year’s foreign exchange reforms, has further complicated the situation, exacerbated by a local shortage of dollars.

This visit by US lawmakers underscores the growing international pressure on Nigeria to address the humanitarian and legal concerns surrounding Gambaryan’s detention.