Philip Agbese, a member of the House of Representatives, has sued Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan for defamation.
Last Friday, February 14, Gambaryan alleged on X that three Nigerian lawmakers, including Peter Akpanke and Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, demanded a $150 million bribe in cryptocurrency.
In response, Agbese denied any involvement in cryptocurrency trading, stating he does not own a crypto wallet. “I could not have asked for funds to be credited to a non-existent wallet,” he said.
He challenged Gambaryan to provide evidence, issue a public apology within seven days, or face legal action. However, less than three days later, Agbese filed a lawsuit at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, seeking N1.5 billion in damages.
The lawmaker also asked the court to restrain Gambaryan and his associates from making further defamatory statements and demanded a retraction of the post and related publications.
In a statement on Monday, February 17, Agbese explained why he proceeded with legal action despite initially giving Gambaryan a seven-day notice.
“So, three days after my stated deadline, after a careful analysis of his wild claims, which hold no water either in common sense or logic, I have today, Monday, February 17, 2025, instituted legal proceedings against Gambaryan, after he repeated his false allegations instead of retracting them,” the statement reads.
He emphasized that his reputation, both as a citizen and a lawmaker, was at stake. “If I failed to do this today, posterity, my children, and the generation unborn will not forgive me.”
Agbese criticized Gambaryan for refusing to apologize and instead claiming he wanted to step away from the issue to spend time with his family. “I am an African and have a larger family and more loved ones to stay with than Gambaryan. He must come to court to prove his allegations or be ready to pay the compensation I have demanded.”
He added that the lawsuit was not just about financial compensation but to deter others from using falsehoods to evade accountability.
