Former U.S. Federal Agent and Binance Manager Detained in Nigeria

Nigerian officials have detained a former U.S. federal agent and a regional manager for Africa who both work for Binance.

According to reports, Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent who joined Binance’s criminal investigations team, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, were detained without disclosed criminal charges after arriving in Nigeria at the invitation of local authorities. They have been held at a government facility in Abuja for two weeks, with their passports confiscated.

“There’s no definite answer for anything: how’s he’s doing, what’s going to happen to him, when he’s coming back. And not knowing that is killing me,” said Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan.

Details of the Detention

The detention reportedly took place on Feb. 26, just a day after the two arrived in Nigeria in response to an invitation from the authorities to address ongoing disputes with the exchange. Both Gambaryan and Anjarwalla have reportedly been visited by officials from the U.S. State Department and the U.K. foreign office, although Nigerian government guards have been present during these meetings, limiting privacy, families added.

Nigerian Crackdown on Crypto Platforms

Nigerian authorities have intensified scrutiny on crypto platforms amid the country’s economic challenges, including a significant devaluation of the naira and high inflation rates. In a bid to curb currency depreciation, the government previously ordered telecom and internet service providers to restrict access to several crypto exchanges, including Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken.

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