Tigran Gambaryan, an executive from the leading crypto exchange Binance, has filed a lawsuit in a Federal High Court in Abuja against Nigeria's Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Gambaryan accused the institutions of violating his fundamental human rights and breaching the Nigerian constitution, following his detention and passport confiscation upon his arrival in Nigeria in February.
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The executive stated he had not been informed of any offenses committed and demanded that the authorities release him from custody, return his passport, and issue a formal public apology for the alleged mishandling of his case.
The lawsuit also states that the authorities are keeping Gambaryan detained solely to use him to continue making demands on Binance, adding:
The Respondents, being agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria, have a channel of communication to request for information and make demands on Binance without the necessity of detaining the Applicant, who only dutifully attended a meeting with the Respondents
The court session was postponed to April 8 with no decision being made for now, as the attorneys of both the ONSA and the EFCC were absent.
Gambaryan was detained alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance's Regional Manager for Africa, while Binance was facing four charges from the Nigerian government for tax evasion. Anjarwalla, however, managed to escape the detention.
This story highlights the challenges that the crypto industry participants face in navigating complex international regulations.
Nigeria is not the only country where Binance is involved in legal issues, as the crypto exchange is also under scrutiny in the Philippines for operating without the required licensing.
