The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 27, 2025, for judgment on a compensation bid filed by ex-Binance Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, against Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what his legal team describes as “prolonged detention” in Nigeria.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the judgment date after the legal teams for both parties adopted their processes, Nairametrics reliably gathered.
Nairametrics reports that the case, filed by Gambaryan, seeks the award of costs against the NSA and EFCC over his alleged prolonged detention by security operatives in connection with the Federal Government’s money laundering and foreign exchange contravention allegations against Binance, a leading cryptocurrency platform.
Legal Dispute
Nairametrics previously reported that on June 19, 2024, Gambaryan’s counsel, Tonye Krukrubo (SAN) and Sunday Agaji, informed the court of their proposed amended originating motion for the enforcement of their client’s fundamental rights in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/356/2024.
Gambaryan’s lawyer had asked Justice Inyang Ekwo to compel the NSA and the EFCC to apologize for his client’s detention in the country.
In his initial fundamental rights suit, Gambaryan alleged that the Federal Government was using his prolonged detention “as leverage to continue making demands on Binance.”
In his grounds of application, Krukrubo told the court that his client, an American citizen, visited Nigeria on February 26, 2024, along with Nadeem Anjarwalla, solely to honor an invitation by Mr. Saad Abubakar of the NSA and Mr. Olalekan Ogunjobi of the EFCC for a meeting with government officials as representatives of Binance.
He added that after honoring the invitation, his client — who is not a board member of Binance — was detained.
The senior lawyer urged the court to hold that:
“The unlawful detention of the applicant (Gambaryan) by the respondents from February 26, 2024, to February 27, 2024 (period of detention before the remand order), and from March 12, 2024, to April 8, 2024 (period of detention after the remand order expired until arraignment) has caused immense hardship and emotional stress to the applicant, his wife, children, and other members of his family.”
However, the respondents countered Gambaryan’s submissions on June 21, 2024.
In the EFCC’s motion dated July 2, 2024, and seen by Nairametrics on February 5, 2025, Olanrewaju Adeola drew the court’s attention to Suit and Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/138/2024 in the case of Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Binance Holdings Ltd & Anor (the applicant in this suit), filed on March 28, 2024, and currently pending before Justice Emeka Nwite.
The case before Justice Nwite involves allegations of money laundering and foreign exchange contraventions against Binance.
Adeola emphasized the importance of considering the facts presented in Nwite’s proceedings to ensure a just decision.
What Transpired in Court
- At the resumption of proceedings on October 15, 2025, lawyers to both parties adopted their processes and urged the court to uphold their respective submissions.
- Nairametrics exclusively gathered that the judge subsequently adjourned the case to November 27, 2025, for judgment and/or ruling (in view of counter-applications by the federal government agencies).
Backstory
In early 2024, the Federal Government of Nigeria accused the Binance cryptocurrency exchange of influencing foreign exchange (FX) rates, leading to stricter regulatory and legal scrutiny of crypto trading platforms.
On February 28, 2024, Nigerian authorities detained two senior Binance executives: Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan who served as the Regional Manager for Africa, and Tigran Gambaryan, a 39-year-old American who was the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance at the time.
Nairametrics reports that both executives filed fundamental rights suits against Nigerian government agencies, citing violations of their constitutional right to liberty.
Anjarwalla’s case was later struck out for lack of diligent prosecution.
The duo was also charged by the EFCC and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), alongside Binance, with tax evasion, foreign exchange contravention, and money laundering.
Anjarwalla later escaped from detention and fled Nigeria, while Gambaryan remained in custody based on a court order.
The FIRS and EFCC later amended their charges, naming Binance as the sole defendant.
Gambaryan was eventually released by the Nigerian government on health grounds.