Inside the Biden-Tinubu Call: The Push for Freeing Binance’s Gambaryan
U.S. President Joe Biden recently contacted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to discuss the release of Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, who had been held in Nigeria on charges of money laundering and operating an unlicensed financial institution.
The conversation reportedly acknowledged Nigeria’s cooperation on law enforcement matters and led to the dropping of the final charges against Gambaryan, who was subsequently allowed to leave Nigeria.
Biden’s intervention came after several calls from U.S. officials, including a coalition of 18 state attorneys general who advocated for Gambaryan’s release, noting his deteriorating health and significant diplomatic concerns related to his detention.