Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance Holdings executive facing charges of money laundering and currency speculation in Nigeria, has shared details of his eight-month detention and the role former Deputy Police Commissioner, Abba Kyari played in his survival.
In an interview with Wired, Gambaryan recounted his experience in the VIP wing of Kuje Prison and the harsh conditions he endured while awaiting trial.
On April 8, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Binance Holdings Ltd and Gambaryan before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering totaling $34.4 million.
As his legal battle dragged on, Gambaryan described his time in Kuje, a facility notorious for housing high-profile inmates, including accused Boko Haram terrorists.
He was placed in the high-security segregation wing—a section reserved for high-risk and VIP prisoners who could afford special treatment.
His 6-by-10-foot cell had a toilet, a metal bed frame, and what he described as a “glorified blanket” for a mattress. A single window, covered with metal bars, let in some light.
“Aside from the bed, this was actually an upgrade from the EFCC dungeon: He had sunlight and outside air—albeit polluted by a trash fire a couple hundred yards away—and a view of trees that swarmed with bats every evening,” Wired reported.
On his first night in Kuje, he recalled feeling relieved despite the circumstances.
“As bad as it was, I thought I was in heaven,” Gambaryan said.
Inside the VIP wing, he was surrounded by powerful inmates, including a cousin of Nigeria’s vice president, an alleged fraudster awaiting U.S extradition, and Abba Kyari, who is himself under indictment in the U.S. for alleged corruption.
He noted that Kyari commanded respect in the prison, with other inmates working for him and even guards deferring to him.
Kyari’s wife regularly brought home-cooked meals for both inmates and guards.
Gambaryan developed a liking for a Northern Nigerian dumpling Kyari’s wife made, and she would prepare extra portions for him.
In return, he shared takeout meals from Kilimanjaro, a fast-food restaurant, with Kyari, who particularly enjoyed its Scotch eggs.
He also credited his VIP prison neighbor with teaching him the unwritten rules of survival—how to obtain a phone, avoid conflicts with prison staff, and stay out of danger.
Despite widespread corruption in the prison system, Gambaryan maintained that he never paid a bribe.
“He was my Red,” Gambaryan said, referencing Morgan Freeman’s character in The Shawshank Redemption. “He was instrumental to my survival.”
His situation worsened on May 17, his 40th birthday, when his bail was officially denied. That evening, his lawyers sent a cake, paid for by Binance, which he shared with fellow inmates and guards.
Wired reported that every night, Gambaryan was locked in his cell as early as 7 p.m.—sometimes even earlier than other inmates—under constant surveillance by guards following orders from the national security adviser.
To stay active, he did pull-ups on the ledge of an entryway to the segregation wing’s courtyard.
However, the presence of cockroaches, geckos, and even small beige scorpions in his cell meant he had to shake out his shoes before putting them on.
In May 2024, he fell ill during a meeting with his lawyers. Initially believing it was food poisoning, he later learned it was malaria after a blood test administered by guards.
He recalled that the guards asked him for cash to buy IV fluids and antimalarial injections. They hung the IV bag from a nail on the wall of his cell as they treated him.
Over time, he struggled with psychological stress, waking up from dreams of freedom only to realize he was still trapped in his tiny cell. Eventually, even “his dreams, too, were of prison.”
In October 2024, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered his release after the EFCC withdrew its charges against him.
Reflecting on his ordeal, Gambaryan expressed a strong desire for justice.
“I guess it did make me angrier? It made me want to get vengeance against those that did this.”
“I wanted justice. And I still do.”
