Nigeria Refutes Binance’s Bribery Allegations, Calls Them ‘Diversionary Tactics’

As an analyst with a background in international finance and experience following regulatory developments in emerging markets, I find Binance’s bribery allegations against the Nigerian government intriguing but ultimately unconvincing. The Nigerian government’s swift denial and dismissal of these claims as baseless seems more credible given the lack of concrete evidence presented by Binance.


Nigeria has dismissed the bribery accusations brought forth by Binance, the leading global cryptocurrency exchange, describing them as a “strategy to shift focus” away from Binance’s own dealings.

In reaction to a blog entry penned by the newly instated CEO of Binance, Richard Teng, it was asserted that the Nigerian authorities had requested a payment of $150 million in cryptocurrency to conclude an ongoing criminal probe.

Nigerian Government Slams Binance’s Bribery Claims

As a crypto investor following news from Bloomberg, I’ve come across the denial made by the Nigerian Ministry of Information spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim, regarding the bribery allegations leveled against him by Teng. In his own words, he dismissed these claims as unfounded and insubstantial.

Ibrahim argued that the Binance CEO’s statement was simply an attempt to deflect attention from the cryptocurrency exchange’s questionable dealings. However, the Nigerian government vehemently refutes any allegations of bribery on their part.

In January, as mentioned in Teng’s blog entry, Binance participated in a gathering with Nigerian authorities. At this event, accusations of criminal activity were brought up against the company.

Teng stated that following the meeting, Binance employees were approached outside by unidentified people and pressured to pay a substantial amount of cryptocurrency to resolve the accusations within two days.

As a researcher, I came across a blog post mentioning an intriguing incident. Gambaryan and his collaborator received an invitation from Nigerian authorities to return in February. However, upon their arrival, they were unexpectedly taken into custody.

Tigran Gambaryan, who is currently in police custody, is set to stand trial this month for allegedly evading taxes, engaging in illegal currency dealings, and laundering money. Despite another employee having eluded capture in the past few months, Gambaryan remains behind bars.

Nigeria Intensifies Scrutiny Of Cryptocurrencies

The Nigerian authorities discard Binance’s allegations of bribery as a contrived global initiative by the company, intended to harm Nigeria’s standing.

The government alleges that Binance has made baseless claims and engaged in defamatory media campaigns to protect its reputation during criminal investigations in various nations, such as the US.

As a researcher examining the economic situation in Nigeria, I cannot overlook the impact of cryptocurrencies on the depreciation of the local currency, the naira. The government has identified these digital currencies as one contributing factor to the currency’s decline, alongside foreign exchange control adjustments and heightened volatility.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has taken action to allay worries by prohibiting direct peer-to-peer transactions involving cryptocurrencies and the Nigerian Naira. New rules are set to be introduced to oversee the crypto market in the near future.

As a researcher, I’ve come across some troubling news regarding Binance and its founder, Changpeng Zhao. While dealing with challenges in Nigeria, Zhao himself faced the consequences of regulatory actions in the US. He was sentenced to serve four months in prison for oversights that unfortunately enabled cybercriminals and terrorist groups to trade unhindered on the platform. Additionally, Binance agreed to pay a substantial fine of $4.3 billion to address the allegations brought forth by the US authorities.

As a researcher, I’ve come across the ongoing dispute between Binance and the Nigerian government over accusations and denials. At present, Binance has not provided a clear response to these allegations. It is uncertain how the exchange intends to tackle this situation or offer more information regarding the claims made against them.

Nigeria Refutes Binance’s Bribery Allegations, Calls Them ‘Diversionary Tactics’

At present, the native token of the exchange, BNB, is priced at $585 and has experienced a 4.4% increase over the last seven days.

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2024-05-09 07:12