A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Tigran Gambaryan, former Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). Gambaryan had alleged unlawful detention and sought compensation, but the court ruled that his application was an abuse of court process.
Justice Umar Mohammed held that the court couldn’t interfere with the prosecutorial powers of Nigerian authorities investigating suspected foreign exchange violations and money laundering involving Binance. The judge noted that Gambaryan had no evidence of immunity from prosecution under Nigerian law and that his bail application was previously denied due to being a flight risk.
Gambaryan, an American citizen, was detained in Nigeria alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, who later escaped and fled the country. Both were charged with tax evasion, FX contravention, and money laundering. Gambaryan was eventually released on health grounds.
