How Nigerian Lawmakers Allegedly Demanded $150M Bribe From Binance Executive – Explosive Revelation

Detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, has accused three Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe paid in cryptocurrency. He details secret meetings, fake cameras, and international pressure in his explosive revelation. Read full details.

A shocking revelation has emerged from detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, who has accused three Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe to be paid in cryptocurrency. The explosive claim, which has sent ripples through Nigeria’s political and financial landscape, has raised serious questions about corruption and abuse of power.

According to Gambaryan, the bribe request was made during a staged meeting with members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, who allegedly attempted to extort the massive sum under the guise of an official proceeding. He identified two of the lawmakers as Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both operating under the leadership of Ginger Onwusibe, while failing to recall the name of the third member present.

Gambaryan, who was detained in January 2024 by Nigerian authorities, detailed the ordeal in a social media post. He stated that before meeting with the House of Representatives, the Department of State Services (DSS) had warned him that he must comply with whatever instructions the lawmakers gave.

“At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name. They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in,” Gambaryan revealed.

The Binance executive claimed that the meeting ended with the lawmakers allegedly demanding a $150 million bribe to be paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets.

Gambaryan also implicated Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, in the unfolding scandal, stating that Ribadu was part of an official meeting arranged through Sa’ad Abubakar, along with another key figure, Hamma Adama Belloji.

He alleged that Ogunjobi, another Nigerian official, was merely used as a pawn to execute the plan. According to Gambaryan, the meeting with the NSA, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Central Bank Governor also included discussions about the House of Representatives’ bribe request.

Gambaryan also refuted Nigerian authorities’ claims that Binance funneled $26 billion out of Nigeria, calling it a fabricated accusation. He explained that the amount was simply cumulative trade data from Nigerian users on the Binance platform and not funds leaving the country.

“For example, if you trade $100 a hundred times, that’s $10,000 in trade volume, but in reality, you only used $100. Again, just another example of them lying to cover up their BS investigation,” he wrote.

Gambaryan also addressed the controversial escape of his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who fled Nigerian custody in March 2024. He accused Nigerian authorities of lying about the circumstances of Nadeem’s escape, claiming that officials fabricated evidence to keep them detained illegally.

“Nadeem did not escape lawful detention — we were being held illegally. Belloji even admitted that he would fabricate evidence to obtain a court order to detain us for 14 days,” he stated.

Gambaryan further alleged that Nigerian authorities attempted to use them to violate international privacy laws by demanding Binance’s user data on all Nigerians, supposedly to track opposition figures accused of manipulating the naira’s value. However, he argued that the currency’s devaluation was directly linked to the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In October 2024, the Nigerian federal government withdrew the money laundering charges it had filed against Gambaryan. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially arraigned Binance and Gambaryan in April 2024, accusing them of currency manipulation.

This followed a crackdown on Binance by the Nigerian government, which accused the crypto firm of fueling the naira’s depreciation by allowing unregulated forex transactions on its platform.

What Next? Calls for Investigation Grow

Gambaryan’s revelations have sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for an independent investigation into the alleged bribe demand by lawmakers and the involvement of top Nigerian officials. Critics argue that these allegations, if proven true, expose the depth of corruption within Nigeria’s financial and political systems.

For now, the Nigerian government has yet to respond officially to Gambaryan’s claims, but the controversy continues to unfold, raising concerns about governance and accountability in the country.