Binance top official, Mr Tigran Gambaryan, on Saturday insisted that the $150m bribery allegation he made against three Nigerian lawmakers is factual.

He added that his post on Friday was nothing but the truth of what took place in Nigeria.

This is as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Mr. Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, categorically denied the bribery allegation.

He further revealed that a defamation lawsuit against the company and its CEO, seeking $3 billion in damages had been filed since September 2024 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

Recall that Gambaryan had taken to the micro blogging site, X, on Friday to name Philip Agbese, Ginger Onwusibe and Peter Akpanke, all members of the House of Representatives as the three prominent Nigerians who demanded a bribe of $150m from him to forestall his arrest and prosecution over money laundering allegations.

Despite the denials, however, Gambaryan posted again on X on Saturday that his claim was factual.

“What I shared was factual, based on my personal experiences and conversations with those who have direct knowledge of the events I discussed; information that was shared with both Nigerian and US law enforcement.

“So please, allow me to leave this behind and find peace”, he insisted.

He said it was the responsibility of law enforcement agents in both Nigeria and the US to see the investigation into the matter through.

He wrote, “I am no longer in law enforcement. The responsibility of seeing this through to a logical conclusion now falls on those still serving in United States and Nigeria.

“Many requested that I stay on and provide further commentary on the issues I posted about yesterday (Friday). Here’s the hard truth: what I shared was meant to fill in the gaps left by Wired and NPR’s reporting.

“The reality is that last year was incredibly painful for me and my family. I dedicated my life to fighting crime as a Special Agent with the United States Department of the Treasury and as a compliance professional. It was an honour to serve my country and it was a blessing that they came to my rescue and mobilised the full force of the US Government when I was in need.

“Being dragged through court on outrageous, baseless, and trumped-up charges didn’t just hurt me, it also brought immense pain to my family.

“I don’t want to see my kids cry because I’m not around. I don’t want to see videos of my 75-year-old mother on television in tears. I don’t want to see my wife crying on TV. I want to put this nightmare behind me and move on.”

In a statement titled ‘Limited Reaction to False, Malicious, and Defamatory Publications Against Me by Tigran Gambaryan of Binance,’ Onwusibe refuted any claims of coordination between his committee and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), or the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

The lawmaker highlighted that the allegations originated from Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, who shared these claims on social media and with international media outlets such as NPR and WIRED.

Onwusibe clarified that his committee’s investigation into Binance was prompted by a petition from a civil society organisation alleging financial and economic crimes.

He outlined the timeline of events, stating that Binance had requested a pre-hearing meeting prior to the official public hearing.

This meeting, it was reported, was held on 8 January 2024 in his absence, as he was on official duty elsewhere, while the official hearing was scheduled for 10 January 2024, but Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, failed to attend, leading to multiple rescheduled dates, which were also disregarded, allegedly.

Following Binance’s continued non-compliance, Onwusibe filed a defamation lawsuit against the company and its CEO, seeking $3 billion in damages.

The statement also referenced Binance’s history of legal issues, including fines and convictions in the U.S., Canada, India, and Uzbekistan for violations related to money laundering and unlicensed operations.

Onwusibe alleged that Binance had resorted to blackmail and misinformation to evade accountability in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed his commitment to clearing his name through legal means, insisting that neither he nor his committee solicited bribes at any point during the investigation.