U.S. lawmakers visit Kuje Prison, accuse Tinubu’s government of denying Gambaryan medical attention
Two U.S. lawmakers Rep. French Hill, Republican representing Arkansass and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat, representing Pennyslyvania have called for humanitarian release of Binance Executive, Tigran Gambaryan facing charges of tax evasion and other financial crimes in Nigeria.
The lawmakers said the call was imminent following the conditions they met Gambaryan after visiting him in prison on Wednesday.
Their call followed the one by his wife, Yuki Gambaryan who also demanded the immediate release of her husband, since the Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS has amended its charges to free Gambaryan of culpability in the tax evasion saga.
Yuki wondered why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is still prosecuting her husband when the main tax agency says he does not have a case to answer in the tax evasion allegation.
In a statement, she said: “Since the FIRS charges were dropped last week and they agreed to serve those charges solely on Binance, I do not see why the EFCC cannot do the same. It is time for the Nigerian authorities to do the right thing and let my innocent husband go.
“I am also once again calling on the US government to intervene more forcefully.” “Tigran’s and my own tax dollars get sent to Nigeria in aid every year. Nigeria is supposed to be an ally. I refuse to believe that our State Department cannot do more to have an innocent American citizen released.”
Also in a video posted to his X account, which Vanguard sighted, Hill said: “We visited Nigeria to discuss anti-terrorism efforts. We also had the opportunity to advocate for an American that’s been wrongfully detained by the Nigerian government in the horrible prison that we got to go see, that’s called Kuje prison”
Hill in the video, noted that Gambaryan confirmed he is suffering from malaria and double pneumonia, adding that he has lost significant weight even as he is allegedly being denied access to adequate medical attention.
“We want him home and we can let Binance, his employer, deal with the Nigerians.
” We have asked the U.S. embassy to advocate for the humanitarian release of Gambaryan because of the horrible conditions in the prison, his innocence and his health.
“We have a taskforce in Congress that is on Americans wrongfully detained abroad, or held hostage. Clearly in our view, Tigran fits in that camp”, Hill added.
Recall that a group of US congressmen wrote a letter on June 4, 2024 to President Joe Biden, asking him to intervene and pressure Nigeria to release Gambaryan, whose EFCC leg of charges against, continues today. Hill was among the signatories of that letter.
