Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has accused Nigerian authorities of “kidnapping” former Binance executive and U.S. federal agent Tigran Gambaryan for eight months in a dramatic escalation of international tensions.
Zhao’s statement, in a now deleted post on X, came just moments after U.S. President Donald Trump announced preparations for potential military intervention in Nigeria over alleged religious persecution.
“Nigeria also basically kidnapped Tigran Gambaryan, an ex-Binance employee and an ex-US federal agent, for 8 months without cause a year ago,” Zhao wrote, referencing growing Western criticism of Nigeria’s treatment of Christians.
Gambaryan, who served as Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, was arrested in Lagos on February 28, 2024, alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, the company’s regional manager for Africa.
Their detention was part of Nigeria’s broader crackdown on cryptocurrency platforms, which authorities accused of money laundering, tax evasion, and foreign exchange violations. While Anjarwalla escaped custody, Gambaryan remained detained until October 2024, when the Federal High Court in Abuja discharged him from all charges.
In a follow-up post, Gambaryan echoed Zhao’s claims and alleged that Nigerian officials boasted about extorting the U.S. government for his release. “Thanks @cz_binance (Zhao). Then they bragged about extorting the Biden administration out of $50 million to release me,” he wrote.
The controversy erupted as President Trump issued a fiery statement on social media, condemning what he described as the “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians,” Trump warned, “the U.S.A. may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
He added, “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet”.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth backed Trump’s stance, posting “Yes, sir,” alongside a screenshot of the president’s statement. He added, “The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria, and anywhere, must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action”.
The Nigerian government has strongly denied allegations of religious persecution. President Bola Tinubu responded, stating, “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.”
He emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding religious freedom and ongoing collaboration with international partners.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga criticized the U.S. narrative, calling it “a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation.” He noted that both Christians and Muslims face attacks from extremist groups and urged the U.S. to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts rather than issue threats.
Prior to Tinubu’s statement, the Federal Government had said that the United States remains one of Nigeria’s closest allies despite President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged killings of Christians.