Ginger Onwusibe, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, has denied recent accusations made by Tigran Gambaryan, a top executive at Binance, regarding a demand for a $150 million bribe.
Gambaryan had alleged that Onwusibe, along with two other lawmakers, Philip Agbese and Peter Akpanke, demanded the hefty sum in exchange for halting his prosecution over alleged financial crimes in Nigeria. The accusations, posted by Gambaryan on X (formerly Twitter), quickly gained traction, prompting Onwusibe to issue a formal statement of denial.
The Binance executive claimed that during a meeting with members of the House of Representatives, he was forced to comply with the lawmakers’ instructions to avoid criminal charges. Gambaryan alleged that, in a staged meeting with fake cameras, the lawmakers requested the bribe to be paid in cryptocurrency.
The story rapidly went viral, sparking public outrage and controversy. However, Onwusibe has labeled these claims as “false, malicious, and defamatory,” insisting that no such demand was ever made.
In his response, Onwusibe clarified the nature of the meeting with Binance representatives. The Labour Party lawmaker explained that his committee began investigating Binance after receiving a petition from the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, accusing the cryptocurrency platform of financial crimes detrimental to Nigeria’s economy.
Onwusibe stated that Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, had requested a preliminary meeting before the scheduled public hearing, which the committee duly arranged. The lawmaker emphasized that the meeting was professional and concluded without any improper demands.
Onwusibe also expressed his frustration with Binance’s response to the investigation. Despite agreeing to attend the public hearing, Binance’s CEO repeatedly failed to appear, and legal representatives were sent in his place. The committee rejected this, prompting delays in the hearing, which eventually led to a legal dispute between the lawmaker and Binance.
Onwusibe disclosed that he had filed a lawsuit against Binance and Teng in September 2024, seeking damages and an apology for defamatory remarks made by the company. The lawmaker also criticized Gambaryan’s recent accusations, framing them as a “desperate attempt by Binance” to divert attention from its own legal issues. He stressed that neither he nor his committee coordinated with Nigerian security agencies such as the DSS or the EFCC in their investigation of Binance, further rejecting claims of any improper involvement by the government.
Onwusibe also pointed out Binance’s troubling record of legal violations, citing the conviction of its founder, Changpeng Zhao, in the United States for financial crimes and its fines in multiple countries for regulatory breaches. In addition to defending his reputation, Onwusibe lamented the public backlash he received from some Nigerians who believed the allegations without scrutiny.
