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Binance boss: US congress moves against Nigeria *Our citizen under hostage  

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Nigeria may be squaring up against the US soon, if Joe Biden, listens to signals coming from the House of Representatives to the effect that Tigran Gambaryan, detained executive of Binance, currently going through legal trial in the country for fraud that he is being held hostage.

Nothing short of his immediate release would be good enough for a group of 16 lawmakers in the lower House in their petition to the POTUS demanding his intervention in asking Nigeria to return the Binance boss and bring him back to the US to face proper investigation.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had arrested Gambaryan, accused alongside the company, of charges including non-payment of value-added tax and corporate income tax, and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform, in February this year and held him in a guest house before formal charges were brought against him and Binance in an Abuja court in April.

But the lawmakers who would have none of it, riled against the treatment, saying he was wrongfully detained while also warning that his health was now a big issue and there was danger of him losing his life.

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Part of the letter to Biden, on Tuesday read: “On behalf of Mr. Gambaryan, his family, and concerned Americans, we, the undersigned, urgently request and strongly encourage the transfer of his case to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.”

The letter published by Fox Business correspondent Eleanor Terrett on her X handle on Wednesday, also saw the lawmakers saying that Gambaryan qualified as a “U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government” and his detention has been “marked by excessive and harsh treatment.”

Signed by the group which included House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, Michael T. McCaul, a Republican from Texas, it added: “Mr. Gambaryan’s health and well-being are in danger, and we fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preserve his life. We must act swiftly before it is too late.”

Gambaryan, Binance’s chief of financial compliance, “has been wrongfully detained since late February after granting the Nigerian government’s request for discussions regarding the crypto giant’s business in the country. The government of Nigeria took Mr. Gambaryan hostage and thus needs his government’s help to be freed,” the group said, while highlighting his work as a former IRS agent who helped lead some of the country’s “most prolific cyber investigations,” including the seizure of $4.725 billion in illicit funds.

The House members’ letter to the President’s office marks the most high-profile move concerning Gambaryan’s case, and marks a significant development, following his family’s continued appeals to the government for help.

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The law firm handling Gambaryan’s case previously wrote in a letter to the Nigerian Federal High Court that their client was “very ill” and required immediate and comprehensive medical attention.

Multiple outlets reported that Gambaryan collapsed during a hearing of the case wherein the compliance officer is accused of involvement in Binance’s violations of Nigerian law.

Justice Emeka Nwite ordered for Gambaryan’s transfer to a hospital, but his family said late last month, that he had not been moved to a hospital.

They also revealed that the Binance executive was suspected of having malaria and a severe throat infection.

A spokeswoman for Gambaryan’s family was quoted to have told FOX Business, that Gambaryan is now back in prison, following a brief hospital visit, his health deteriorating rapidly due to poor treatment.

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“It has been 100 days since my husband, Tigran, was taken hostage by the Nigerian government. Despite my relentless efforts to bring him home, the fight has been long and difficult. Today, however, it feels like my plea for help may finally be heard by the US government.,” Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan, said through a spokeswoman. “I do hope more members will show their support for Tigran as well and urge the government to take immediate action to bring an innocent American citizen home to his children.”

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Lagos police in fresh N1million extortion saga! *How they forced me to pay – musician

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Barely one month after authorities of the Lagos Police Command, dealt with the case of extortion of N1million by four of its operatives from some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in the state, they will have to return back to deal with yet another, for exactly the same amount.

This time, it is the case of one Efemena Richard, described as an upcoming artist, who just returned from South Africa and was heading to Warri, the oil city of Delta State to visit the mother, who is telling exactly the same story as the one faced by the NYSC members in Surulere area of the Nigeria’s financial capital.

Louis Edet House Abuja, headquarters of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), moved quickly in reaction to the development, which is already trending on social media to order prompt investigation into the matter, which is also attracting a lot of reactions.

Richard, while recounting his ugly experience in the hands of the policemen on Monday, narrated how he was forced to cough out N1 million after he was accosted by the officers, reportedly attached to the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State, who thereafter, forced him to sign some papers, while taking his photographs at the same time.

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An X user identified as Harrison Gwamnishu, but tweeting as #HarrisonBbi18, who shared a video of the artiste narrating his ordeal via his X handle late Monday, October 21, 2024, recounted the details of exchange between him and the artiste, saying the said policemen forced him to transfer the sum from his account before going to Warri, Delta State.

The exchange, as he recounted, went thus: “Boss, [the] police just extorted me. They took 1 million naira from me after searching my phone at the airport and found nothing. I was headed to the airport when they stopped me. I told them I was already missing my flight but they refused to allow me to go.”

In the three-minute-long video which was tagged, highlighted him, saying: “One million naira extorted from a music artist #smookyhighgrade by some police officers attached to the Beesam Police Station before Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos. They asked for $10,000. They gave me papers to write [on] that they will leave me if I write anything I’m asked to write, so I can go catch my flight. I could have left the money but I can’t, it’s a lot of money. Nigerians, please help me, N1 million is no small money.”

Richard, who said he made a video of one of the men, showing the dark-stained tips of his fingers which he said were proofs of thumbprints made, at the behest of the officers, also recalled that he was recorded in a video in which the officers forced him to speak to show that he was not under duress, and signed papers, to be used as his consent, after which he told his sister to send the N1m.

“They even asked for my blockchain wallet, I don’t know what concerns the police with that. I’m just an upcoming artiste, not a fraudster. I just came from South Africa to promote my music. I was heading home to see my mum before I experienced this.

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Reacting to the tweet on Monday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, called on the Lagos Police Command PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin, and the PRO, Airport Command, to commence an investigation into the matter.

“#PoliceNG_CRU, #PoliceNG, contact #BenHundeyin and PRO Airport Command to fish out these men and revert please. Thanks,” the tweet read.

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Treason: Find him, arrest him! Police gets court’s nod to hunt down fleeing Briton

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Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, issued a warrant of arrest against a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, and other Nigerians over allegations bordering on treason and terrorism, following an ex-parte motion filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), but moved by Audu Garba.

It was a day the IGP accused about 10 other detained Nigerians, including Lucky Obiyan, and Abdullahi Musa of conniving with Wynne, otherwise known as Andrew Povich, to plot the removal of President Bola Tinubu through unconstitutional means.

In the action seeking an order to declare them wanted, he said the fleeing defendants were involved in the case of conspiracy, treason, inciting to mutiny, inciting disaffection to government and terrorism, among others, contrary to Sections 97, 410, 413, 416 and 412 of the Penal Code, Northern States Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.

The affidavit in support of the motion said investigation so far conducted revealed that the fleeing defendants, were responsible for planning and coordination of the invasion and burning down of the High Court Complex, NCC office and printing press in Kano.

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They were also responsible for the attack on Kano Government House, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency’s office, NURTW office and several other buildings in August 2024, the affidavit, said, adding that others who are now at large are being tracked, hence, the need for the application.

Garba, who maintained that if the application is granted, it would enable all police officers in the country and other security agencies to use their mechanisms to secure the lawful arrest of the fleeing defendants, urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

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Bloody divorce! Angry man delivers multiple stabs on wife’s lawyer

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Abayomi Oladire, a lawyer handling a divorce case for a woman, is currently battling with injuries inflicted upon him by the irate husband who lunged on him with a broken bottle with which he dealt deadly blows on various parts of his body for daring to represent his wife in the matter.

Oladire, 40, was said to have been rushed to the hospital, where doctors are reportedly dealing with the injuries after the attack, said to have been carried out by one Kunle Kuteyi, who waylaid him at Ondo West Local Council of Ondo State, on his way to his sister’s baby naming ceremony.

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command, are said to have launched a manhunt for the attacker, who local witnesses said was accusing the victim of having an affair with his wife to the extent of helping her file for divorce against him, and who reportedly fled the scene after the onslaught, which left the lawyer in pool of his own blood.

One of the eyewitness, who claimed to have observed the deadly incident, was quoted to have said: “We saw the two standing together, and later the suspect hugged the victim and pushed him away. The next thing we saw was the suspect bringing out a broken bottle and starting to stab the victim.”

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In his own account, the victim was quoted as saying: “The wife of the suspect brought a judgement to me and said her husband was ordered to pay N2 million by the court to a complainant in a case instituted against them. After going through the judgement, I observed that both the husband and wife were asked to pay N2 million each, and I explained this to her.

“She went to the complainant’s lawyer and paid the said amount. Then, she later asked me to prepare divorce papers because her husband had lied to her about the case. When I prepared the divorce papers, she later came back to me, that she was no longer interested because her husband’s family had intervened and begged her to forgive him.

“I told her that I would inform the judge on the next adjournment date. On the day of the incident, I was going to my sister’s baby naming ceremony when I saw the suspect. He said he had been looking for me because I prepared divorce papers for his wife. He accused me of dating her and of preparing a divorce letter for her.

“But I explained to him that his wife had told me she was no longer interested in the divorce and that we were going to withdraw the case on the next adjournment date. The suspect hugged me and bit me on the jaw, then brought out a broken bottle and started stabbing me.

“All I could do was guard myself to prevent him from stabbing me in the neck or other dangerous parts of my body. In the course of performing my legal duty by preparing a divorce for his wife, the suspect attempted to kill me by stabbing me viciously. He is walking freely in the town, and all the police stations in Ondo can’t arrest him.”

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