Binance Executive Faces ₦1.5 Billion Defamation Suit By House Of Reps Member, Agbese

A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has filed a ₦1.5 billion defamation lawsuit against Binance Holdings Limited executive, Tigran Gambaryan, over allegations of bribery.

Naija News reports that Gambaryan, in a post on 𝕏 last Friday, accused three Nigerian lawmakers, including Agbese and Peter Akpanke, of demanding a $150 million bribe in cryptocurrency.

Reacting, Agbese denied the allegations, stating, “I have never been involved in cryptocurrency trading and do not own a crypto wallet. I could not have asked for funds to be credited to a non-existent wallet.”

The lawmaker gave Gambaryan a seven-day ultimatum to provide evidence or issue a public apology.

However, Agbese has now approached the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, seeking damages and an injunction against further defamatory statements.

The suit also requests that Gambaryan retract his post and any related publications.

The statement reads, “So, three days after my stated deadline, after a careful analysis of his wild claims, which hold no water either in common sense or logic, I have today, Monday, February 17, 2025, instituted legal proceedings against Gambaryan, after he repeated his false allegations instead of retracting them.

“I was compelled to approach the court because my reputation as a citizen, a distinguished congressman, and that of my country is at stake, such that if I failed to do this today, posterity, my children, and the generation unborn will not forgive me.

“The accuser, who made the false statements, is not in any way ready to apologize for defaming me. He has instead chosen to say he would like to be excused from making further comments on the issue because he wants to spend more time with his family.

“This is totally wrong. I am an African and have a larger family and more loved ones to stay with than Gambaryan. He must come to the court to prove his allegations or be ready to pay the compensation I have demanded.

“This is not for the billions that will come at the end of the day from Gambaryan but to serve as a deterrent to others like Gambaryan in the society who think falsehood is a strategy of getting away with their crimes against our country and humanity.”