Former Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, has accused Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, of demanding billions to fund his political ambition.
Gambaryan said Ribadu could not push through his demand due to the exposure of a corruption scandal.
In 2024, Gambaryan was arrested by the Nigerian government and arraigned on money laundering charges.
In April, recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Gambaryan for alleged money laundering.
Gambaryan, a United States citizen, was arrested and detained in February 2024 following the clampdown on the cryptocurrency firm over alleged manipulation of the naira.
The money laundering charges were eventually dropped by the Nigerian government.
However, while recounting his eight-month ordeal and Ribadu’s role, Gambaryan posted on X: “We had a strong working relationship with Nigerian law enforcement, but their greed destroyed all cooperation between Nigeria and the entire industry.
“They even threatened administrators at Nizamiya Hospital, instructing them not to admit me when I was extremely ill. Additionally, they pressured the hospital to withhold my medical records from my attorneys. This was later confirmed by the Turkish Ministry of Health when my friend met with their officials in Turkey.
“Ribadu emphasized that he wanted billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition. However, when the corruption scandal came to light, he was trapped—because any settlement would now be perceived as a bribe. I guess he really wanted his boss’s job 
“Ribadu even hired a U.S. law firm to negotiate my release, but this failed due to their incompetence and greed.
“Ribadu overstepped his authority and embarrassed Nigeria in front of U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Ribadu acting like an asshole angered the White House and led to diplomatic repercussions—the U.S. limited visas to the Nigerian delegation for UNGA, and Biden refused to meet with Tinubu until my situation was resolved.
“In the end, Ribadu overestimated his influence. They thought they could secure a quick win, but instead, they created an international incident, exposing his incompetence on a global scale.
“That’s it for me for now. I don’t want to dwell on this, but it’s important for Nigerians to get the facts. I met amazing people in Nigeria. It’s a shame that these muppets are in charge.”
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