Victor EzejaNigerians have reacted to the recent release of Binance Executive, Tigran Gambaryan, a United States citizen who was detained and tried for alleged money laundering and currency speculation.
They called on the U.S. government to reciprocate the same gesture to Nigeria by withdrawing money laundering charges leveled against chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Dr Allen Onyema.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelTheir reactions came on the heel of a 30-minute call by the US President, Joe Biden, to President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, who briefed newsmen in Abuja about the phone call explained that Biden and Tinubu discussed the partnerships between both countries as well as the recent release of Gambaryan.
Biden thanked Tinubu for the collaboration between the two countries with regards to law enforcement and law enforcement agencies and the withdrawal of charges against Gambaryan.
Gambaryan, who is the head of Financial Crimes Compliance at Binance, was held in custody in Nigeria for eight months over money laundering charges to the tune of $35.4 million and tax evasion. He was arrested in February during a business trip to Nigeria. He denied the charges. His case was compounded by the escape of his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, the former Africa Regional Manager for Binance, who was also taken into custody.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had announced last week that an Abuja Federal High Court has dropped the money laundering charges against Gambaryan, allowing him to seek medical treatment abroad.
The outcome, reportedly led President Joe Biden to call Tinubu on Tuesday to express his gratitude for the release of his citizen.
The incident has generated reactions from Nigerians. Some said Biden’s gesture reflects how U.S leaders care about their citizens, and that the phone call is a lesson to Nigerian leaders to always protect their own citizens any where in the world.
An X user David @davsess wrote: “One thing @officialABAT should learn by Biden’s phone call about the Binance executive is,the live of a single American citizen is important to him as a president and he mustn’t allow any American citizen die like a chicken anywhere in the world. If Tinubu will learn that alone.”
Some said that since the U.S secured the release of her citizen who allegedly made Nigeria lose billions of dollars what is Nigeria should push to get the US to withdraw the allegations against Dr Allen Onyema of Air Peace free, especially after a U.S court had pronounced that Allen didn’t breach any of the US bank rules.
Another X user, Obinna, said: “While the U.S. got Nigeria to drop the charges brought against its citizens, the Binance Executive, Tigran Gambaryan, who made Nigeria lose billions of dollars, Nigeria has done nothing to protect Allen Onyema of Air Peace, the nation’s biggest airline, which is employing thousands of Nigerian citizens from an indictment that U.S. prosecutors admitted in a U.S. court in 2022, that Onyema never caused any bank or institution in America to lose money.”
“Tinubu should have asked the U.S. to drop the charges against his own citizen in the spirit of the MLAT signed by both countries. How can any Nigerian ever be proud of this country?” he asked.
“Tinubu would have used Allen Onyema as a bargaining chip, but nobody knew what he traded for the release of the Binance man,” a Nigerian by name Okey Ibeke stated on social media after news of Biden’s call to Tinubu went viral.
Others criticised the withdrawal of the charges against Gambaryan by the Nigerian authorities over alleged America’s intervention, raising concerns about the implication on the country’s justice system.
“Tigran Gambaryan broke the laws of Nigeria which is causing the nation billion in dollars and wasn’t prosecuted because the almighty USA intervened in the Nigeria’s judiciary process, but the USA will enforce the extradition of criminals from Nigeria to USA to face prosecution,” another X user, Darl M.A. stated.
Also, making a case for the Air Peace chairman to be absolved of the allegations, Convener, Concerned Academics for Equitable Society CAfES), Dr Victor Nwogbo, stated that given his giant strides, patriotic posture and persistent quest to create jobs in the country through his airline business Onyema needs no further “persecution.” In an Op-ed, Nwobo, a lecturer in UNN, called on relevant authorities to continue to offer support to Onyema and his airline for more positive impacts in the aviation industry and the Nigerian economy generally.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
