A new report has claimed that President Bola Tinubu agreed to release Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan as part of a diplomatic deal aimed at securing a meeting with former U.S. President Joe Biden.
The revelation was made by U.S.-based bi-monthly magazine Wired in an investigative report titled “The Untold Story of a Crypto Crimefighter’s Descent Into Nigerian Prison.” The report details Gambaryan’s detention in Nigeria and the negotiations surrounding his release.
Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent, was recognized for his significant contributions to modern cryptocurrency investigations before joining Binance. He was detained in Nigeria amid the country’s crackdown on the cryptocurrency exchange.
According to Wired, one of the conditions set for Gambaryan’s release was a public statement from Biden thanking Tinubu. The report suggests that Nigeria leveraged the situation to gain diplomatic recognition from the U.S. government.
“The statement of thanks, I later learned, was part of the deal the U.S. government struck with Nigeria, which also included aiding in its investigation of Binance—which is still ongoing,” Wired quoted Gambaryan as saying.
Additionally, the report revealed that former White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan played a direct role in the negotiations by personally reaching out to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
“Around the same time, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan had a phone call with his Nigerian counterpart, Nuhu Ribadu, in which he essentially asked that Gambaryan be freed, according to multiple sources involved in pushing for Gambaryan’s release,” Wired reported.
The report further suggests that U.S. officials made it clear that Gambaryan’s detention could become a major obstacle to any potential meeting between President Biden and President Tinubu at the UN General Assembly or other diplomatic events.
“Perhaps most impactful of all, several supporters say, they learned that US officials had made clear that Gambaryan’s case was going to present an obstacle to any meeting between President Biden and Nigeria’s President Tinubu at the UN General Assembly or elsewhere, a notion that deeply troubled the Nigerians,” the report stated.
The claim that Nigeria sought a political trade-off for Gambaryan’s release raises questions about the extent to which diplomatic negotiations influence legal matters. It also highlights the growing scrutiny of Binance’s operations in Nigeria.
Binance has been under investigation in Nigeria for alleged financial misconduct, with authorities linking the company to economic disruptions, currency manipulation, and illicit transactions. Gambaryan’s detention was seen as part of the broader effort to hold cryptocurrency platforms accountable.
While Nigeria has not officially confirmed the details of the reported deal, the Wired investigation sheds light on the complex negotiations behind Gambaryan’s release. The U.S. government has also not issued a public statement regarding the alleged agreement.
