“Gambaryan Too Ill to Attend Court,” NCoS Tells Judge

On Friday, October 18, there was confusion at the Federal High Court in Abuja when detained Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, failed to appear for his trial on alleged money laundering.

Gambaryan, who has been detained in Nigeria since February, last appeared at the Abuja High Court on October 11, where Justice Emeka Nwite denied his fresh bail application and set today for the continuation of his money laundering trial.

However, when the case was called, the Binance executive was nowhere to be found.

“Where is the second defendant?” the judge asked Mark Mordi, SAN, Gambaryan’s lawyer. Mordi appeared confused and responded, “I don’t know why he is not in court, my lord.”

EFCC’s lead counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, also expressed surprise. “It’s surprising that he isn’t here. We need time to find out what went wrong,” he said, requesting a brief pause to contact the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

Counsel for Binance, Tonye Krukrubo, SAN, was visibly frustrated. “This is unexpected. He was in custody under the NCoS. How can they say they don’t know where he is?” he asked.

Justice Nwite then turned to an NCoS officer present in court for answers. “Was he not transferred to your custody after the last hearing?” the judge queried.

“Yes, my lord, he was. He is still in our custody,” the officer replied.

“If that’s true, then where is he?” the judge pressed further. Unable to provide immediate answers, the officer was instructed to call the official in charge of the Kuje Correctional Centre.

When proceedings resumed, the officer finally explained, “My lord, the center informed me that Mr. Gambaryan is very ill, which is why he could not be brought to court today.”

Mordi seized the moment to request an adjournment. “We’ll need time to monitor his health and ensure he gets the necessary care. A date next week would allow us to report on his condition,” Mordi said.

EFCC’s lawyer, though disappointed, did not oppose the request. “The health of the defendant is paramount. We hope this situation is resolved quickly,” Iheanacho remarked.

Concerns about Gambaryan’s health were previously raised during court proceedings on September 4, when Mordi argued that his client’s health was “perilous.” He disclosed that Gambaryan required surgery for a herniated disc and psychiatric care for depression and anxiety.

Calls for Gambaryan’s release from detention have continued to grow. On October 11, Iyinoluwa Samuel Aboyeji, OON, co-founder of Andela and former managing director of Flutterwave, took to LinkedIn to advocate for his release.

“This will not make me popular with my friends in Abuja, but there comes a time when the bitter truth must be said. It is time for our government to let Mr. Tigran go home,” Aboyeji wrote.