The House has dismissed allegations of bribery filed by Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, saying they are trying to discredit Nigerian institutions and public officials.
Gambaryan, who was detained in Nigeria from February to October 2024, claimed in an article on X that certain Nigerian lawmakers solicited substantial bribes in cryptocurrencies. He specifically nominated Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese among the three lawmakers he accused of demanding $150 million of bribes. He also claimed that the political ambitions of national security adviser Nuhu Ribadu seek huge spending from Binance.
In a statement Saturday, February 15, responding to the claims, House spokesman Akin Rotimi insisted that the allegations were groundless and targeted individual lawmakers, not institutions themselves .
“As an independent department of the government, the House adheres to due process, rule of law and constitutional oversight. These allegations were previously circulated last year and were targeted at individual members, not the institution itself,” the statement said.
“The members named Honorary Assured the House leaders that they had never conducted any reported deals. One of the members had taken legal action to clear his name, while the other affected members were encouraged to pursue justice and protect it Do the same thing in reputation situations.
“It is also important to emphasize that with the active participation of Nigeria and the U.S. governments, this matter has evolved into government-to-government participation.
“It is worth noting that during the course of high-level diplomatic discussions, the Nigerian federal government prioritized national interests over external business pressures, including rejecting Binance’s proposal for financial settlement. These facts raise serious grounds for the credibility and intention of the allegations being sold. doubt.”
The House stressed that since the matter is now ahead of the subject of the court and the ongoing diplomatic engagement, it will avoid further comments based on established parliamentary, judicial and diplomatic principles.
“The House urges the public to rely on proven facts rather than being misled by recycling claims designed to discredit Nigerian institutions and public officials. The House’s commitment to transparency, accountability and protection of democratic institutions in Nigeria remains unwavering.” Rotimi adds explain.
