After enduring eight months of detention, Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance Holdings Limited, has departed Nigeria to reunite with his family in the United States.
His wife, Yuki Gambaryan, announced his release in a statement on Thursday, just one day after he left Kuje prison following the Nigerian government’s withdrawal of charges against him. “Today, American citizen Tigran Gambaryan left Nigeria to return home to his family after eight months of unlawful detention,” Mrs. Gambaryan stated.
“It is a huge relief that this day has finally come. The past eight months have been a living nightmare. I wish it hadn’t taken this long for his release or that his health had not declined so much, but we can now focus on healing as a family,” she added.
In her statement, Mrs. Gambaryan expressed her gratitude towards the U.S. government and others who advocated for her husband’s release during his time in detention. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the US government for their efforts in securing his release. I also want to thank everyone who helped us throughout this ordeal. There were moments I feared this day would never come, but Tigran’s supporters gave me hope and strength,” she remarked.
Mr. Gambaryan was detained in February alongside his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, following an official invitation from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. They faced allegations that their firm was involved in currency speculation that adversely affected the naira.
While Mr. Anjarwalla managed to flee detention and exit Nigeria in March, Mr. Gambaryan remained in custody until his release on Wednesday.
