Mrs. Yuki Gambaryan has made an appeal to the federal government for the release of her husband, Tigran Gambaryan.
Yuki, the spouse of the detained head of financial crime compliance at Binance, conveyed her plea through a letter directed to the federal government. It is worth noting that on February 28, both Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, were apprehended by Federal authorities.
Despite Anjarwalla managing to escape from the custody of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), both executives associated with Binance were arraigned in court by the Federal Government on charges of tax evasion and money laundering.
Yuki mentioned that Gambaryan, a father of two children, has been separated from his kids for several weeks. In a statement titled “Letter to the Nigerian Government from the Wife of Tigran Gambaryan” provided to The Nation on Thursday, April 4, Yuki emphasized her husband's profound admiration for Nigeria.
She said: “My name is Yuki Gambaryan, and I am pleading with you from the bottom of my heart as the wife of Tigran Gambaryan to please allow my innocent husband to come home.
“Tigran is first and foremost an incredible father, loving husband, and supportive friend to everyone who meets him. He has a deep respect for Nigeria and its people, and in fact, he had expressed excitement to me at the prospect of starting to work in your country.
“I understand and respect your decision to scrutinize his employer, Binance. I realize that this whole situation has arisen from your commitment to your country and its citizens. However, Tigran is merely an employee.
“He does not have authority over Binance’s corporate decisions or policies that might have impacted Nigeria. He spends his workday investigating and pursuing criminal activity on the platform.
“His very job is to help governments, like yours, prosecute and prevent illicit activity. Sadly, any influence he might have had at Binance to help the company leaders understand your position in this disagreement is trapped in that cell with him.
“Tigran is globally recognized for his significant contributions in solving crimes involving cryptocurrencies. I know many of his peers, including in Nigeria, would say that Tigran’s continuous efforts not only decrease illicit activity on Binance’s platform but for all cryptocurrencies across the world.
“Tigran and I have two young children. This is the longest their Dad has ever been away from them, and they don’t understand why he hasn’t come home to them. They ask me every day when he will be coming home, and still I cannot give them an answer. This week is going to be especially difficult as it is our youngest’s 5th birthday on Friday. I never imagined Tigran would not be here with us to celebrate it.
“Meanwhile, his aging mother spends her days in tears, praying for the safe return of her only son. She raised Tigran almost all on her own. He is her everything, the thought of him being in a country so far away from her and in these circumstances is beyond devastating to her.
“A small part of me chips away every day without Tigran by my side. He is the love of my life, and I cannot imagine a life without him. I plead with you from the depths of my heart to release Tigran. Please let our children see their father. Your act of mercy would be eternally appreciated.”