The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a compensation claim filed by Tigran Gambaryan, former Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance, against the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The ruling underscores the government’s authority to investigate and prosecute suspected financial crimes.
Justice Umar Mohammed, delivering the judgment on Thursday, described Gambaryan’s suit as an attempt to leverage fundamental rights claims to impede statutory investigations into alleged foreign exchange violations and money laundering linked to Binance.
Gambaryan, an American citizen, had sought damages, arguing that his detention in Nigeria caused significant hardship and emotional distress to him and his family. He arrived in Nigeria on February 26, 2024, with colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla for meetings with government officials but was detained shortly thereafter. His lawyers contended he was unlawfully held from February 26 to 27 and again from March 12 to April 8, 2024.
Justice Umar emphasized that Gambaryan is currently standing trial and had been denied bail by Justice Emeka Nwite due to being considered a flight risk. “Fundamental rights are not absolute and may be curtailed when circumstances demand,” the judge stated. “No court has the power to obstruct the investigative functions of the police or EFCC.”
The court further held that Gambaryan failed to provide evidence of immunity from prosecution under Nigerian law, dismissing his suit entirely and branding it an abuse of court process.
