Philip Agbese sues Gambaryan, demands N1.5bn over bribery allegation

Philip Agbese, a member of the house of representatives, has instituted a suit against Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, over defamatory allegations.

​​In a post published on X on Friday, Gambaryan recounted his experiences in the hands of some Nigerian lawmakers.

Gambaryan claimed three lawmakers, including Peter Akpanke and Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the house of representatives, demanded a $150 million bribe in cryptocurrency payment into their wallets.

Reacting to the allegations, Agbese claimed that he has never been involved in cryptocurrency trading and does not have a crypto wallet.

The lawmaker added that he could not have asked for funds to be credited to a “non-existent wallet”.

Agbese urged Gambaryan to either publish any evidence linking him to the bribery accusation, apologise within seven days, or face legal action.

However, less than three days after issuing the statement, the lawmaker has filed a suit before a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama, seeking N1.5 billion in damages.

He is also praying the court to restrain Gambaryan and his associates from further making defamatory comments about him.

Agbese added that the Binance executive should also retract the post and publications made about him.

In another statement issued on Monday, the lawmaker said he decided to approach the court despite the earlier seven-day notice given to Gambaryan.

“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,” the statement reads.

“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.”