Binance's Head of Financial Crime Compliance has asked the Federal High Court in Nigeria to mandate the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to issue an apology to him regarding his detention in the country.
According to local reports, Tigran Gambaryan is suing the government for violating his fundamental human rights. Gambaryan’s motion claims that his detention in Nigeria soon after his arrival in February and the confiscation of his passport violates the country’s constitution, which guarantees an individual’s right to personal liberty.
In the lawsuit, Gambaryan disclosed that the federal government is using his ongoing detention “as a means to exert pressure and persist in making requests to Binance.”
The motion emphasized that Nigeria could communicate with Binance through other channels instead of detaining Gambaryan, who only attended a meeting.
The financial crime compliance head for Binance also reportedly requested the court to order the immediate return of his passport and the issuance of a public apology.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, detained alongside Gambaryan, also lodged a similar complaint. Anjarwalla reportedly escaped Nigerian detention recently.
During the court session, Gambaryan’s attorney informed Justice Inyang Ekwo that their application had been served to the respondents, who still had time to reply.
The lawyer requested an adjournment for the NSA and EFCC to respond. The judge granted the request, postponing the case to April 8.
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Among Nigerian crypto enthusiasts, various theories have risen in a bid to make sense of the situation. An enthusiast, who identifies as Chineduokoli_ expressed concerns about the possibility of getting proper redress in a Nigerian court.
Another individual, ObiUcheUzoije, questioned the delay in the Binance executive’s decision to file a lawsuit against the agencies and speculated whether his colleague’s escape prompted it.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, and Anjarwalla, who holds both British and Kenyan citizenship, purportedly landed in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Feb. 25.
The court allowed the EFCC to hold the Binance executives for 14 days and ordered Binance to give the government access to data and details of Nigerian traders using its platform.
Nigeria’s Federal High Court will arraign Binance and the two executives on April 4. Meanwhile, the government plans to enlist Interpol’s help top recapture ting Anjarwalla for trial.
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