President Joe Biden expressed gratitude to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for the recent release of Tigran Gambaryan, a senior executive at Binance Holdings, who faced trial in Nigeria for alleged money laundering.
This acknowledgment came during a 30-minute phone call on Tuesday, as revealed by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
During the call, Biden thanked Tinubu for the collaboration between the two nations, particularly in law enforcement.
Tuggar stated, “The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and President Biden proceeded to thank President Tinubu for his partnership and Nigeria’s partnership, and in particular, for the collaboration between the two countries regarding the release of one of the suspects of the cryptocurrency exchange company.”
Biden also offered his condolences regarding recent flooding in northeastern Nigeria and praised Tinubu’s leadership in securing Gambaryan’s release on humanitarian grounds.
The White House noted that the U.S. President appreciated Tinubu’s role in facilitating the release of the American citizen and former U.S. law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan last week.
Gambaryan had been detained for nearly eight months amid a crackdown on cryptocurrency activities, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initially charging him with money laundering. However, those charges were dropped due to health concerns after his condition deteriorated while in custody.
Tuggar emphasized that “due process was followed in the release of the Binance executive.”
Following the withdrawal of the charges, Gambaryan was able to leave Nigeria and return to the United States. His family confirmed his return after what they described as “eight months of unlawful detention.”
In their discussion, Biden highlighted the significance of a strong partnership with Nigeria, stating, “The future of the world resides in Africa, which is why this partnership needs to continue.”
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He also assured Tinubu of the U.S. commitment to securing permanent seats for two African nations on the United Nations Security Council, reiterating that he “does not see any reason why one of those seats should not belong to Nigeria, given its position in Africa, its stature and its importance.”
Both leaders acknowledged the importance of legal frameworks in their countries and pledged to continue collaborating in this area.
As their conversation concluded, they expressed a commitment to maintaining open lines of communication, even as Biden’s term approaches its conclusion in January 2025.
