Families disclose identities of Binance executives detained in Nigeria

A former crypto-focused US federal agent named Tigran Gambaryan and a Kenyan executive working for Binance, Nadeem Anjarwalla, have been revealed as the individuals detained by the Nigerian government in Abuja.

They have been without access to their passports for two weeks.

Both executives are being held in confinement at a government property in Abuja, according to a document shared with Bu by a representative of their families. 

There have been no criminal charges communicated to either Gambaryan or Anjarwalla.

Reports suggest that their detention is linked to the Nigerian government’s efforts to stabilize the local currency, the naira, following the ban on several cryptocurrency trading websites. 

The detained executives reportedly flew to Nigeria after the ban was announced.

Their passports were seized by Nigeria’s national security adviser’s office, as reported by the Financial Times.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, hinted at the collaboration between the CBN, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Police, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to prevent market manipulation. 

Mr. Bayo Onanuga, a special adviser to the Nigerian president, accused Binance of influencing Nigeria’s exchange rate and advocated for a ban on cryptocurrencies in the country.

Reactions from the family of the Binance executives

Tigran Gambaryan, before joining Binance, was known for leading investigations against cryptocurrency-related crimes while working with the US Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigations (IRS-CI) division.

 Anjarwalla, on the other hand, is a government affairs specialist for Binance, educated at Oxford and Stanford.

“Nadeem is a loving husband and father. He is my best friend,” she says. “All I want is for Nadeem to be allowed to come home to us.”

Family members of the detained individuals have expressed concerns about their well-being and called for their release. 

Gambaryan’s wife highlighted his past contributions to the US and urged for government support in negotiating his freedom. 

Anjarwalla’s wife emphasized his role as a family man and expressed distress over his detention during Ramadan and his son’s upcoming birthday.

Both families await further information regarding the fate of their loved ones.