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Nigerian Lawmaker Onwusibe Denies Bribery Claims, Challenges Binance to Face the Law
By Gloria Ikibah
Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Rep. Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, has firmly denied bribery allegations made against him by Binance Senior Executive Officer, Tigran Gambaryan, describing the claims as false and an attempt to tarnish his image.
The dispute began when Gambaryan accused Onwusibe and his committee of demanding bribes during an investigation into Binance’s activities in Nigeria. The allegations, widely shared on social media and reported by international media like NPR and Wired, portrayed Binance executives as victims of harassment.
According to Rep. Onwusibe, he initially chose to remain silent, as the matter was already in court. However, he has decided to respond publicly due to the backlash and what he called an “unfair attack” on his person, his political party (Labour Party), and his Igbo ethnic group.
Onwusibe explained that his committee started investigating Binance after receiving a petition from the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative. The group accused Binance of financial crimes that threatened Nigeria’s economy. The committee invited Binance CEO, Richard Teng, for a public hearing on January 10, 2024.
Before the hearing, Binance requested a private meeting to understand the allegations. On January 8, 2024, three committee members and a clerk met with Binance’s legal team at the National Assembly. Onwusibe, who had other official engagements, did not attend. He stressed that the meeting was professional and no bribe was requested.
Despite promising to attend the public hearing, Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, failed to show up several times, sending lawyers to represent him instead. The committee postponed the hearing multiple times, but no senior Binance official appeared, raising concerns about the company’s willingness to cooperate.
The conflict worsened when Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, published a blog post on May 7, 2024, accusing Onwusibe of corruption. The post also revealed that Binance executives were under investigation by security agencies, including the DSS and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Onwusibe, calling the blog post defamatory, instructed his lawyer, Nnamdi U. Nwokocha Ahaaiwe, to demand an apology and compensation from Binance. Binance refused to comply. On September 18, 2024, Onwusibe filed a lawsuit against Binance and Teng at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, seeking an apology, a retraction, and $3 billion in damages. The case, which began on January 22, 2025, will resume on February 19, 2025.
Onwusibe dismissed Gambaryan’s latest bribery claims as a distraction from Binance’s legal troubles. He stated that his committee worked independently and never collaborated with agencies like the DSS, ONSA, SEC, CBN, EFCC, or NFIU in the legislative probe.
He also highlighted Binance’s global legal issues, such as the U.S. conviction of its founder, Changpeng Zhao, for money laundering, and regulatory fines in countries like Canada, India, and Uzbekistan.
Onwusibe expressed disappointment that many Nigerians believed Binance’s narrative without checking the facts. He said the false accusations had not only damaged his reputation but also targeted his political party and ethnic group.
Despite this, Onwusibe remains determined to clear his name. He vowed to pursue his lawsuit to the end and accused Binance of using media blackmail to avoid accountability. He also referenced reports that one Binance executive fled from Nigerian custody, further proving, in his view, that the company was acting in bad faith.
Onwusibe stressed that Binance should face its case in court and stop using false accusations to cover up its actions. He assured Nigerians that the committee acted lawfully and that justice would prevail.
Monthly disbursements to the federal, states and local government areas dropped for the third consecutive time yesterday. The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N1.58 trillion to the three tiers for March
The committee announced N2. 411 trillion as the total revenue generated in March at its April meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The total distributable revenue comprised N931.325 billion from statutory sources, N593.750 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N24.971 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and N28.711 billion from Exchange Difference revenue.
According to the communiqué issued by FAAC, the gross revenue available for March stood at N2.411 trillion. The deductions for cost of collection stood N85.376 billion, while N747.180 billion went to transfers, interventions and refunds accounted consumed.
Despite the lower net revenue available for distribution, the March statutory revenue of N1.718 trillion showed an increase of N65.422 billion over the N1.653 trillion received in February.
However, revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) dropped to N637.618 billion last month from the February figure of N654.456 billion – a decrease of N16.838 billion.
From the total distributable sum of N1.578 trillion, the federal government received N528.696 billion; states collectively got N530.448 billion, while the 774 local government areas received N387.002 billion. Additionally, N132.611 billion – representing 13 per cent of mineral revenue – was allocated to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
The breakdown of the N931.325 billion statutory revenue shows that the federal government took N422.485 billion, the states got N214.290 billion and N165.209 billion shared to the councils. The oil-producing states received N129.341 billion from this component as derivation revenue.
From the VAT pool of N593.750 billion, the federal government got N89.063 billion, states got N296.875 billion and the local government areas got N207.813 billion.
For the EMTL revenue of N24.971 billion, the federal government took N3.746 billion, states received N12.485 billion and local government areas went home with N8.740 billion.
In the case of Exchange Difference revenue of N28.711 billion, the federal government received N13.402 billion, states N6.798 billion and local government areas was allocated N5.241 billion. A further N3.270 billion from this revenue was distributed as 13 per cent derivation to oil-producing states.
A deeper look into the revenue trends shows that while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased significantly during the month under review, several other key sources witnessed declines.
These include Oil and Gas royalty, EMTL, VAT, Excise Duty, Import Duty, and Common External Tariff (CET) Levies.
A viral video showing several Nigerian police officers allegedly receiving N5,000 each from a Chinese man and his family has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over corruption and ethics in the Nigeria Police Force.
The footage, which surfaced online, shows uniformed officers lining up as a Chinese man hands them cash gifts.
The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from the public and human rights advocates, who described it as disgraceful and damaging to the image of the police.
When contacted by Vanguard, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said he was unaware of the viral video or the incident.
Similarly, the Lagos State Police Command distanced itself from the footage. Its spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that the incident did not occur in Lagos, contrary to claims circulating online.
Public figures have also weighed in. Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), described the video as “shameful” and called for the removal of the IGP.
“This is why I keep saying illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun must leave the police force. It is the shame of the nation,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Popular social commentator and human rights activist Martins Victor Otse, also known as VeryDarkBlackMan, called the act “disgraceful, disrespectful, and degrading,” urging the police leadership to address the matter transparently.
The incident has intensified calls for accountability, with many Nigerians demanding disciplinary action and systemic reforms to restore public confidence in the police force.
The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21, 2025, as public holidays to mark Good Friday and Easter Monday.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday.
He emphasised the importance of embodying the virtues of the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ, who had to die for the redemption of man, while greeting Christians on the joyous occasion.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, the minister called on Nigerians to use the holiday period to pray for the peace, unity, and stability of the nation.
He reassured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to foster national growth and development.
“Furthermore, he encouraged Nigerians to extend love and goodwill to their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity.
“The minister wished all Christians a blissful Easter celebration and extended warm holiday greetings to all Nigerians,” the statement added.
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