“I’m not feeling well!” Crypto outrage over Binance’s Tigran Gambaryan’s treatment in Nigeria

A video showing Binance compliance officer Tigran Gambaryan seemingly being denied assistance while walking with a crutch on his way to his court case in Nigeria has sparked outrage on X, with some users accusing the cryptocurrency exchange giant of “abandoning” its employee.

Binance CEO re-publishes Gambaryan video

Richard Teng reposted a video showing the former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent on his way to a Nigerian court. In the video, Gambaryan is seen asking a Nigerian prison guard for help as he struggles to walk with a crutch.

“I’m not fine! This sucks!” Gambaryan said, revealing that the prison guard was told not to help him. He asked for a wheelchair during the altercation, but his request appears to have been denied. “I’m damn innocent! Why are you doing this to me?” he said.

Gambaryan then grabbed the prison guard’s wrist. “Please don’t hold me. You can walk,” the prison guard told Binance’s compliance manager as he pushed Gambaryan’s hand away. Gambaryan dragged his left leg and briefly leaned against a wall as he struggled to walk.

“This inhumane treatment of Tigran must end. He must be allowed to go home to receive medical treatment and be with his family,” Teng said of the video, which has now been viewed nearly four million times.

Why is Gambaryan in Nigerian custody?

Gambaryan was arrested in late February along with Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa. At the time, Gambaryan’s wife Yuki said Nigerian prosecutors had not provided information on whether the Binance executives were arrested on criminal charges.

Anjarwalla later escaped from Nigerian custody and details of his alleged extradition from Kenya are scarce. The two were accused of money laundering.

Gambaryan’s wife has repeatedly asked for help in securing her husband’s release, saying he suffered from numerous health problems while in detention, including pneumonia and malaria.

In the latest proceedings in his case, Gambaryan’s lawyers filed a new application for bail on health grounds. A spokesman for his family said Gambaryan was in severe pain and could barely walk due to complications from a herniated disc.

X-users outraged at Gambaryan’s treatment

Cryptocurrency users on X expressed their frustration in the comments section of Teng’s post over the case of Gambaryan, who has been held in Kuje Prison since March.

“Nigeria is a hostile place for investors,” said one user, apparently referring to the reason Gambaryan and Anjarwalla had traveled to Nigeria in the first place: to discuss the Nigerian government’s issues with Binance.

One user suggested that Binance should “drag” the Nigerian government to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “violating its rights.”

Well-known blockchain influencer Eljaboom called Gambaryan’s treatment “ridiculous” and pointed out that the Binance employee was “scared and exhausted.”

Many others called on Binance to seek help from “foreign parties” to get the compliance officer out of Nigeria. Crypto lawyer Irina Heaver also joined the calls for Gambaryan’s release, pointing out that he “obviously” needs medical attention.

Binance isn’t doing enough?

While many crypto users were upset about the Nigerian government’s handling of Gambaryan’s case, many others directed their frustration at Binance, accusing the crypto titan of failing to provide its employee with the help he needed.

DeFi content strategist @Ifeanyi specifically called out Teng, saying tweeting without taking action means nothing at this point. “You and Binance have failed him as an employer,” he wrote.

Well-known crypto coach @WisdomMatic shared the same opinion and asked Binance and Teng what they have achieved since Gambaryan’s arrest.

Influencer Omo said that if Binance itself does not intervene in its employee’s case, the crypto community cannot win. “We win as a community, not as individuals,” he said.

One user pulled out all the stops, saying Binance is a “terrible” company because, despite its billions in profits and widespread influence around the world, it seems to ignore the pleas of one of its own people.

The Nigerian government has not yet commented on concerns about Gambaryan’s health, but previously denied that it was not providing the Binance manager with quality healthcare.