Binance: Nigerian lawmaker drags Gambaryan to court, gives reason
- House of Representatives member Philip Agbese has explained why he filed a defamation suit against Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan
- Agbese said Gambaryan specifically mentioned his name in the $150 million bribery allegation he made against some lawmakers during his trial in Nigeria
- In suit number FCT/HC/CV/576/2025, the lawmaker asked the court to declare the allegation against him as a defamatory statement and restrain Gambaryan from making further statements against him
Philip Agbese, a House of Representatives member, has disclosed that he filed a N1 billion defamation lawsuit against the Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, following the allegation that he and two other lawmakers requested a $150 million bribe from the cryptocurrency boss.
The suit, which was filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, maintained that the Binance executive's statements on social media falsely linked the lawmaker to corruption and subsequently damaged his reputation.
Source: Twitter
Suit against Binance executive Gambaryan
In suit number FCT/HC/CV/576/2025, the lawmaker asked the court to declare the allegation against him as a defamatory statement and order the cryptocurrency's giant executive to be restrained from making further comments as well as public retraction from the allegation.
Speaking on the matter in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Monday, February 17, Agbese, who is the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, disclosed that he had issued a seven-day ultimatum to Gambaryan on Monday, February 10 to withdraw the statement and as well issued public apology.
The lawmaker said:
“This egregious allegation was a clear attempt to tarnish my reputation and undermine my integrity.”
He recalled that on May 7, 2024, Binance alleged that some "unknown person" had approached the company in the name of the House Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes and demanded a bribe in a report by The New York Times.
Agbese speaks on suits against Binance executive
As of the time, Agbese said he decided not to join in the suit filed by a colleague in the House of Representatives, Ginger Onwusibe, against the cryptocurrency company because his name was not mentioned in the allegation.
However, the lawmaker noted that the recent claim by Gambaryan and the explicit mentioning of his name compelled him to take legal action against the Binance executive.
He added:
“It became necessary to go to court to protect my reputation and defend my integrity.”
During the week, Gambaryan mentioned the name of Agbese and two other lawmakers who demanded for $150 million bribe during his trial in Nigeria in 2024.
Binance's official accused Nigerian lawmakers of demanding bribes
Legit.ng earlier reported that Binance's Head of Financial Crime Compliance Tigran Gambaryan has mentioned three Nigeria's House of Representatives members who demanded a $150 million bribe from him during his travails.
Recall that Gambaryan and one other were recently detained by the Nigerian government and were on trial, but the charges against him were dropped after the US government's intervention.
However, Gambaryan did not present any documentary evidence to support his claims against the lawmakers and the veracity of the allegations was yet to be verified.
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Source: Legit.ng
