General
Tinubu Seeks Stronger Business Bond With China

By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has promised to further strengthen the 50-year old business relations between Nigeria and China.
A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja, while receiving the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr Chen Xiaodong.
“For us, it is a new beginning with you. A relationship that has lasted over 50 years must be nourished, nurtured, and promoted. Our mutual commitment to the values of labour, understanding, and development is very important. I am very happy that President Xi Jinping is paying attention to Africa as a whole and our developmental needs,” President Tinubu told the Chinese delegation at the State House.
The President welcomed the support of China for a more prominent position for Nigeria in the G20, UN Security Council, and the intergovernmental organisation of developing economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).
“We believe in ourselves. We are determined to enhance the values of our people. Over the years, China has gone through phases of transformation and development. I once visited Shanghai when it was a village, and to see the rapid transformation, the technological development, is worth more collaborative efforts,” the President said.
President Tinubu commended President Xi Jinping for consistently strengthening relations with Nigeria and Africa.
“We believe in our bilateral relations, and we want to strengthen that. I am glad you mentioned United Nations, BRICS, and the G20. This is the largest economy in Africa.
“To classify us as a backwater economy, no matter how hungry we are, we will manage our hunger. We will be friends and partners with those who respect our values, and China is one of them.
“I commend what President Xi Jinping is doing in Africa, helping with capital mobilization for projects that positively impact the lives and livelihoods of our people in Africa.
“The infrastructure need of Africa is monumental, particularly that of Nigeria. You have good technology that you can transfer. You have a good opportunity to make an indelible mark on Nigeria. We have a very vibrant youth population, well-educated, and ready to learn. Skill development programme and transfer of knowledge is extremely important,” he added.
He also thanked President Xi Jinping for an invitation to visit China, saying, “I am glad you appreciate my effort on Lekki Free Trade Zone, and we are doing very well. We need to establish more industrial parks across the country. Nigeria is blessed with mineral resources, and we have a lot of Chinese nationals around. We need to discuss more on that and promote cordial relationship for mutual benefits.”
On his part, the Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs said he was in Nigeria to brief the president on the invitation extended by President Xi Jinping, and the itinerary of the state visit.
The Chinese Envoy commended the President for his strategic vision, playing leading roles in ECOWAS and Africa and congratulated President Tinubu on his re-election as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“You are an important leader and a strategist in Africa. We believe that your meeting with President Jinping will open up more discussions and opportunities for Nigeria and Africa,” the envoy stated.
General
Gambaryan Replies FG, Insists Nigerian Officials Demanded Bribe

By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An employee of a popular cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, Mr Tigran Gambaryan, has maintained that while he was held in Nigeria last year, officials of the administration of President Bola Tinubu demanded bribe for his release.
On Friday, Mr Gambaryan, who regained freedom last October after he was detained in February 2024, accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu, and about three House of Representatives members of demanding bribe from Binance for his freedom.
The federal government, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, in a statement yesterday said the allegations by Mr Gambaryan were false.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria notes with concern the outrageous allegations, uumisinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.
“While the Federal Government of Nigeria is hesitant to engage Mr Gambaryan, given the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, we are obliged to set the records straight to stop his falsehoods from gaining grounds.
“The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretional on their part and the government was not officially involved. However, when the attention of the government was called to an alleged bribery demand during that trip an investigation was immediately opened into it though there was no formal complaint by anyone.
“Mr Gambaryan’s second visit to Nigeria was part of a wider probe into the criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through peer-to-peer platforms like Binance, but investigators were frustrated by the tactics deployed by Gambaryan and his team.
“Mr Gambaryan was released by the Nigerian government in October 2024 on humanitarian grounds and following a high-level diplomatic intervention that ended with tangible benefits for Nigeria. The government rejected Binance’s offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Mr. Gambaryan’s freedom, in favour of a more beneficial settlement with the American government.
“We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Mr Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public to disregard these false accusations in their entirety.
“It is essential to note that Mr Gambaryan’s allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.
“However, we are confident that both the Nigerian and American judicial systems will provide Mr Gambaryan with a fair opportunity to substantiate his claims in court. Until then, we advise the public to exercise caution and not be swayed by Mr. Gambaryan’s unfounded and malicious claims,” the Minister said.
But while responding, the Binance executive said he did not lie against the Nigerian government officials.
“Maybe you should take the time to get your facts straight before posting. I was invited by the Nigerian FIU to a meeting in January. Last time I checked, they are part of the Nigerian government. House members also invited us to the meeting. Last time I checked, the legislative branch is also part of the Nigerian government.
“You said the second part was part of a probe? Lol. So when you invited us to a friendly meeting, you even lied about that?
“A tactic deployed by Gambaryan and his team? What are you talking about? I was in a safe house for a month, watching TV, while you were trying to use me as leverage. You then panicked and knowingly charged me with blatantly false accusations.
“So I was released on humanitarian grounds? At least you’re finally admitting the need to release me. Last time you posted, you claimed my health was fine and that there was nothing wrong with me.
“You investigated? Yet you didn’t take a statement from me? A person with direct knowledge. What a joke.
“You dragged my name through the mud for the past year with zero evidence against me, nearly killed me, and caused trauma to my family. And now you have the nerve to talk about defamation?
“I’ll put my credibility on the line anytime. In court? You mean like last time, when your attorneys didn’t even show up to the human rights suit in Abuja?
“Get your facts straight. I am done with this foolishness. I said my part. I’ll be off twitter now since it’s pointless to argue with evil,” he responded.
General
Afenifere Chieftain Ayo Adebanjo Dies at 96

By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A chieftain of a Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has died at the age of 96.
The elder statesman died on Friday morning at his Lekki residence in Lagos, a statement from his family confirmed.
He was said to have peacefully breathed his last today. A condolence register has been opened at his residence in Lagos and his country home in Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
“With a heart full of gratitude for a selfless life spent in the service of God, the nation and humanity, we announce the passing on of our beloved patriarch, Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo.
“He died peacefully this morning, Friday, February 14, 2025 at his Lekki, Lagos Nigeria home at the age of 96.
“The foremost nationalist, elder statesman, distinguished lawyer, very distinct politician, apostle of true federalism, former organising secretary of Action Group and the national leader of Afenifere is survived by his 94 year-old wife, Chief Christy Ayo-Adebanjo, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
“We will forever cherish his commitment to fighting for truth, equity and justice. His belief and struggle for a truly independent and progressive Nigeria was total and this he fought for until he breathed his last breath.
“The family is consulting with Papa’s friends, associates, and numerous interest groups across the length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond, to fine tune plans for a befitting funeral details which will be communicated in due course,” the statement read.
General
Nigerian Lawmakers Asked $150m Bribe in Crypto—Binance Executive Gambaryan

By Dipo Olowookere
One of the Binance executives detained by the Nigerian government last year, Mr Tigran Gambaryan, has alleged that a few members of the House of Representatives demanded bribe to the tune of $150 million in cryptocurrency from the crypto exchange.
In a lengthen post on his page on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday, he confirmed reports of bribery against the Nigerian officials, who met with employees of Binance in 2024.
Recall that Mr Gambaryan regained freedom last year after several months in detention after he honoured an invitation from the federal government through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), headed by Mr Nuhu Ribadu.
Binance was accused of being used to manipulate the local currency, the Naira, and was forced to delist the currency from its platform, especially for peer-to-peer (P2P) trading.
Narrating what transpired when he engaged Nigerian officials, Mr Gambaryan alleged that Mr Ribadu, who once headed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), also wanted money from Binance to pursue his future political career, probably the highest political office.
Below is his unedited narration;
The DSS was involved in the House of Representatives matter. We met with them at their office on Friday, January 5, 2024, as a prerequisite to our meeting with the House of Representatives. They alluded to the fact that we had to comply with whatever the House members instructed us to do.
At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name. They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in. As you may already know, this ended with them asking for a $150 million bribe, paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets. A Mickey Mouse operation at its best.
@NuhuRibadu invited us to the official meeting and worked through Sa’ad Abubakar. Another key figure in this situation was Hamma Adama Belloji. Ogunjobi was just a pawn; they used him too. This was a sold as a friendly meeting with the NSA, the head of the SEC, and the CBN governor and include the discussion of the bribe that was solicited by the house of representatives.
The $26 billion figure they kept pushing publicly as some mystery money escaping Nigeria is complete BS. This information was provided in response to their request and was simply cumulative trade data for Nigerians on the platform. This money didn’t leave Nigeria—it was just people buying and selling crypto. For example, if you trade $100 a hundred times, that’s $10,000 in trade volume, but in reality, you only used $100. Again, just another example of them lying to cover up their BS investigation.
They lied about Nadeem escaping during mosque prayers. In reality, he returned and escaped afterward. I don’t know exactly how he managed to flee. He emailed me in November, but we haven’t discussed the details of his escape. It’s possible he paid someone off, but I have no proof. If Belloji had simply checked his passport for a visa, he would have realized that Nadeem did not use that passport to travel to Nigeria.
They sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy and the British High Commission, falsely claiming that we were voluntarily participating in strategic talks. This was a blatant lie.
Nadeem did not escape lawful detention—we were being held illegally. Belloji even admitted that he would fabricate evidence to obtain a court order to detain us for 14 days. Once the court order expired, they were unable to get an extension from the judge. At that point, they continued holding us illegally and had no justification for doing so.
There was a lot of noise about using Interpol to capture Nadeem. As someone who has been involved in multiple extradition cases, I can confidently say this was a joke. Extradition is a lengthy legal process, and no rational judge in Kenya or wherever would ever approve extradition for someone who escaped illegal detention at the hands of rogue law enforcement—especially when that detention involved holding employees hostage to pressure their employer. All noise.
They tried to use us to violate international privacy laws by demanding user data on all Nigerians to target opposition members allegedly “manipulating the price of the naira.” However, they all knew that the naira’s devaluation was a direct result of Tinubu’s monetary policy, which depegged the naira from the dollar. I’m not saying this policy decision was wrong, but everyone understood that removing government intervention would lead to extreme devaluation. Instead of acknowledging this, they used Binance as a scapegoat.
They also detained innocent EFCC detectives who weren’t even present when Nadeem “escaped.” If anyone should have been detained, it was Belloji, for multiple basic law enforcement failures, incompetence, and negligence- including:
.Failing to search our belongings
.Not checking passports for visas
.Neglecting to coordinate with immigration to issue travel restrictions or alerts
.Mismanaging the situation internationally, creating an unnecessary diplomatic crisis
We had a strong working relationship with Nigerian law enforcement, but their greed destroyed all cooperation between Nigeria and the entire industry.
They even threatened administrators at Nizamiya Hospital, instructing them not to admit me when I was extremely ill. Additionally, they pressured the hospital to withhold my medical records from my attorneys. This was later confirmed by the Turkish Ministry of Health when my friend met with their officials in Turkey.
Ribadu emphasized that he wanted billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition. However, when the corruption scandal came to light, he was trapped—because any settlement would now be perceived as a bribe. I guess he really wanted his boss’ job 🙂
Ribadu even hired a U.S. law firm to negotiate my release, but this failed due to their incompetence and greed. Looking at you Idayat Hassan.
Ribadu overstepped his authority and embarrassed Nigeria in front of U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Ribadu acting like an asshole angered the White House and led to diplomatic repercussions—the U.S. limited visas to the Nigerian delegation for UNGA, and Biden refused to meet with Tinubu until my situation was resolved.
In the end, Ribadu overestimated his influence. They thought they could secure a quick win, but instead, they created an international incident, exposing his incompetence on a global scale.
That’s it’s for me for now. I don’t want to dwell on this, but it’s important for Nigerians to get the facts. I met amazing people in Nigeria. It’s a shame that these muppets are in charge.
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