Tigran Gambaryan, a high-ranking executive at Binance based in the United States, has been detained in Nigeria since March under allegations related to tax evasion charges in the country. His case, which has garnered significant attention, has now been adjourned until April 19.

Reportedly, Gambaryan traveled to Nigeria in February alongside Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla to address concerns about the exchange's alleged manipulation of the naira, Nigeria's fiat currency. The situation escalated when Binance announced its decision to discontinue all naira transactions on March 5, effectively withdrawing from the Nigerian market. Shortly after this announcement, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, who were still in Nigeria, were detained by authorities.

Authorities in Nigeria have pursued charges against Binance and its executives, including Gambaryan, which reportedly include accusations of tax evasion and money laundering. While the charges against the exchange were adjourned until April 8, Gambaryan's case has now been postponed for two weeks.

Notably, Anjarwalla managed to escape custody on March 22 and fled the country, boarding a flight out of the capital city, Abuja. Meanwhile, Gambaryan's wife has launched a petition to bring him back to the United States, garnering significant support with over 1,700 signatures at the time of writing.

Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran's wife, emphasized her husband's innocence in her petition, describing him as a victim caught in someone else's scheme. She lamented the irony of him being accused of crimes he dedicated his life to combating.

In response to Gambaryan's situation, Binance issued a blog post on April 3 asserting that Gambaryan held no decision-making authority within the company and requested that he not be held liable for Binance's actions in Nigeria. However, Binance did not respond to requests for comment from Cointelegraph at the time of publication.

The legal turmoil surrounding Binance extends beyond Nigeria, as former CEO Changpeng Zhao remains in the United States after pleading guilty to one felony charge as part of a $4.3-billion settlement with authorities. Zhao is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, adding further complexity to the ongoing legal saga involving the prominent cryptocurrency exchange.