A recent report by Wired, a U.S.-based bi-monthly magazine, claims that President Bola Tinubu authorized the release of Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, as a condition to arrange a meeting with former U.S. President Joe Biden.
According to Ireporteronline, the report, titled “The Untold Story of a Crypto Crimefighter’s Descent Into Nigerian Prison,” describes Gambaryan as a former U.S. federal agent who was instrumental in pioneering modern cryptocurrency investigations before joining Binance.
Gambaryan told Wired that Nigerian officials wanted Biden to publicly thank Tinubu as part of the terms for his release.
“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 ongoing investigation of Binance,” Gambaryan revealed.
The report also highlights that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan contacted Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to request Gambaryan’s release.
Sources cited by Wired suggested that U.S. officials made it clear that Gambaryan’s continued detention would obstruct any potential meeting between President Biden and President Tinubu, whether at the UN General Assembly or elsewhere. This reportedly caused significant concern among Nigerian officials.