Binance executives detained in Nigeria for two weeks
Binance, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has faced further complications in Nigeria after two of its executives were detained by authorities. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal and WIRED, the Nigerian government invited senior Binance officials to discuss allegations of currency manipulation. However, upon their arrival in the capital city of Abuja on February 25th, the executives were detained for nearly two weeks.
Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the detained executives, were instructed to pack their belongings and move into a hotel under the control of the National Intelligence Agency after meeting with government officials. Gambaryan is the head of Binance’s financial crime compliance division and a former agent of the US Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation division.
A Binance spokesperson stated to CoinDesk, “Although it is currently inconvenient to comment on the veracity of these allegations, we are indeed cooperating with Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe return and reunion of Gambaryan and Anjarwalla with their families. They are highly ethical professionals, and we will provide them with all the assistance we can. We believe that this matter will be resolved quickly.” The Nigerian president’s office did not respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment.
These executives appear to have been detained due to allegations made by Nigeria against cryptocurrency exchanges. In recent weeks, reports have emerged that the African country has demanded Binance pay a $10 billion fine for allowing approximately $26 billion in untraceable funds to be processed within its borders.