- Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s compliance executive, has spoken publicly for the first time about his eight-month detention in Nigeria
- Gambaryan was held on charges of tax evasion and money laundering after being invited to the country to discuss Binance’s operations
- His health deteriorated significantly during captivity, and his case drew international attention, with U.S. lawmakers pressuring for his release
Binance’s compliance chief Tigran Gambaryan has finally broken his silence on his harrowing eight-month detention in Nigeria. Arrested in February 2024 after being invited to Abuja for discussions about Binance’s activities, Gambaryan found himself facing serious financial crime allegations and years in jail. He has told WIRED the full story of his arrest and detention, which lasted for an agonising eight months before he was finally released.
From Business Trip to Prison
In February 2024, Gambaryan traveled to Abuja, Nigeria, at the behest of government officials aiming to discuss Binance’s role in the country’s financial ecosystem. Shortly after his arrival, he was detained alongside a colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, with authorities accusing the pair of tax evasion and money laundering—a move that many observers viewed as leveraging Gambaryan to exert pressure on Binance.
Anjarwalla managed to escape, leading to harsher conditions being inflicted on Gambaryan, who was moved to a new location:
It was, as Gambaryan describes it, a box with no windows. Just a shower that produced cold water with a timed button and, incongruously, a Posturepedic mattress on the floor. The room’s walls crawled with as many as a half dozen cockroaches of all sizes. Despite the sweltering Abuja heat, the cell had no air-conditioning or even ventilation, only what Gambaryan remembers as “the world’s loudest fan” humming day and night. “I can still hear that goddamn fan,” he says.
During his detention, Gambaryan’s health declined significantly. He suffered from a herniated disc, leading to severe mobility issues, and contracted malaria and pneumonia. His wife, Yuki Gambaryan, expressed deep concern, noting, “His health is in a shockingly bad condition and getting worse by the day.”
U.S. Pushed for Liberation
The effort to secure Tigran Gambaryan’s release from Nigerian detention involved a coordinated push from legal teams, U.S. government officials, and public advocacy groups. Law firms Winston & Strawn and Arnold & Porter played key roles in lobbying for his release, arguing that the charges were baseless. Diplomatically, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and President Joe Biden directly engaged with Nigerian leaders, pressing for Gambaryan’s freedom. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers, including 16 Congress members, publicly called for the case to be classified as a hostage situation, increasing the pressure on Nigerian authorities.
Public campaigns and media coverage also played a crucial role in highlighting Gambaryan’s deteriorating health and the injustice of his detention. Former law enforcement officials and human rights advocates also pushed for action, emphasizing his wrongful imprisonment. In October 2024, after months of international advocacy, a Nigerian court dropped the charges on medical grounds, finally allowing Gambaryan to return home.
Reflecting on his experience, Gambaryan emphasized how he felt he had been lured to Nigeria under false pretences:
I went there in good faith, expecting discussions, not detention.
Gambaryan has since issued a ‘come and get me’ plea to the new Trump administration, asking to go back to his role as an investigator, where he helped with the Silk Road and MtGox investigations.
