Introduction

An American citizen named Tigran Gambaryan, detained Binance executive, has taken legal action against Nigerian authorities for violating human rights. The National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and the Economics and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) are among the authorities implicated by Gambaryan in his legal proceedings.

Gambaryan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla were apprehended by Nigerian authorities on Feb. 26 as part of an investigation into Binance’s operations in the country. The Nigerian government is planning to start a tax evasion case against the cryptocurrency exchange and its leaders on April 4.

In his motion filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja division, Gambaryan made five key requests. These include a declaration that his detention and passport confiscation breached his rights under the Nigerian constitution, a court order for his release and passport return, and an injunction against future detentions related to the Binance probe.

Gambaryan’s motion also demands a public apology and for the defendants to cover all legal costs. Anjarwalla previously pursued similar legal action to protect his rights but his case was withdrawn when he escaped custody on March 22.

Legal proceedings have been adjourned to April 8 due to the absence of the defendants and lack of legal representation for one of the applicants. Binance and its executives are facing a four-count tax evasion charge at a Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja, with allegations including failure to register with local agencies, tax evasion, and aiding tax evaders. The Nigerian government also accused Binance of not issuing proper invoices for Value Added Tax (VAT) and not deducting these taxes from users.