THE U.S. on Thursday deployed a plane outfitted with medical supplies and 6-man special forces to retrieve Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, from Nigeria.
According to The New York Times, Gambaryan left the country after the Federal Government dropped money laundering charges against him.
This newspaper had earlier reported that on Wednesday, the FG withdrew the money laundering charge filed against the detained Binance Holdings Limited’s executive, Tigran Gambaryan, due to his ill health and diplomatic intervention.
Gambaryan has been detained since February due to a government crackdown on the exchange for alleged manipulation of the naira. Alongside him, Binance regional manager Nadeem Anjarwalla was also detained.
In March, Anjarwalla managed to flee from the custody of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), leaving Gambaryan to deal with the charges alone.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Gambaryan’s release reflects the commitment of both countries to collaborate effectively.
The statement reads: “The United States thanks the Government of Nigeria for releasing U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan on medical grounds, allowing him to return to the United States to receive the specialized medical care he requires.
“This positive outcome demonstrates the strength of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and highlights our shared commitment to working together to advance our common interests. Our close law enforcement cooperation remains a cornerstone of our bilateral relationship, and the United States is committed to working closely with the Government of Nigeria to address mutual concerns and prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
Similarly, Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor at The White House, expressed that they were “pleased” to have facilitated Gambaryan’s release.
“I am pleased that American citizen and former U.S. law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan has been released on humanitarian grounds by the Nigerian Government and is on his way back to the United States so that he can receive needed medical attention,” the statement reads.
“As soon as we secured Mr. Gambaryan’s release, I called his wife Yuki to share this good news. I am grateful to my Nigerian colleagues and partners for the productive discussions that have resulted in this step and look forward to working closely with them on the many areas of cooperation and collaboration critical to the bilateral partnership between our two countries.”
