The news:
- Detained Binance employee, Tigran Gambaryan, has filed a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the NSA.
- Gambaryan said the EFCC and NSA violated his fundamental human right to liberty by detaining him and seizing his travel documents.
- The other detained employee Nadeem Anjawarlla also filed a lawsuit against the EFCC seeking the same resolve, however, his lawyers announced to the court that they had withdrawn their representation.
Gambaryan filed the lawsuit against the EFCC and National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu on March 18, 2024, through his lawyer, Olujoke Aliyu, from Aluko and Oyebode Law Firm.
Gambaryan, who is a former Crypto-Focused US Federal Agent, said the seizure of his travel documents and his detention violated Section 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution.
The suit demands that Gambaryan be released and his travel documents be returned to him immediately. It also seeks to stop the respondents — EFCC and NSA — from detaining him about any investigations involving Binance.
In addition, Gambaryan wants a public apology.
Anjawarlla, the other Binance employee who was detained alongside Gambaryan also filed a similar suit against the EFCC and NSA, Nuhu Ribadu on March 26, 2024.
However, his lawyer, informed the court that legal representation for him had been withdrawn.
Recall that Anjawarlla was reported to have escaped custody after he was led to a nearby mosque to pray. He was believed to have flown out of the country using a Middle East Airliner.
Justice Ekwo who presided over the case said, “It means that the applicant has no legal representation and requires that the matter be adjourned for the applicant to seek legal representation and for the respondents to be given an opportunity to come to court.”
Gambaryan who is still in custody said he is an American citizen who honoured the invitation of the EFCC and the Office of the Nation Security Adviser to discuss issues relating to Binance.
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However, he and his colleague Anjawarlla were detained without being informed of the offence he committed personally.
The case between the security operatives and Gambaryan has been adjourned until Apri 8, 2024.
