House of Representatives member, Philip Agbese, has taken legal action against Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s Chief Compliance Officer, over allegations of defamation.
Agbese is seeking N1billion in damages.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, on Monday, stems from Gambaryan’s social media posts accusing Agbese and two other lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe.
Agbese’s legal team led by human rights and digital lawyer, Mr Samuel Ihensekhien, claims that Gambaryan’s statements were false, malicious, and intended to harm the lawmaker’s reputation.
The lawsuit marked No.: FCT/HC/CV/576/2025, between Philip Agbese as the Claimant and Tigran Gambaryan as the Defendant. The Claimant argued that he has never owned a cryptocurrency account or conducted digital currency transactions.
The lawsuit which commenced by writ of summons, seeks a court declaration that the allegations are defamatory, an order restraining Gambaryan from making further claims, and a public retraction of the accusations.
Agbese is also demanding N1billion in general damages and N5million to cover the cost of the lawsuit.
The court has ordered that Gambaryan be served notice of the lawsuit, and he has eight days to respond.
If he fails to do so, the court may proceed with judgment in his absence.
The development comes amidst Nigeria’s regulatory crackdown on Binance, with the cryptocurrency exchange facing allegations of financial misconduct.
The Nigerian government has accused Binance of operating without proper licensing and facilitating transactions that undermine the national economy.
In the court documents SaharaReporters obtained on Monday, the plaintiff is seeking among others;
“A DECLARATION that the defamatory allegations reported in defendant social media platforms particularly x (twitter) with handle as @Tigran Gambaryan imputing corruption and other allegations against the plaintiff is defamatory and offensive to the personality of plaintiff.
“A DECLARATION that the defamatory allegations reported in defendant social media platforms particularly x (twitter) with handle as @TigranGambaryan imputing corruption and allegations against the plaintiff and caused to be shared by several online news publications by the defendant and shared by several Nigeria social media platforms reported from x (twitter)social media account of the 1” defendant, is libelous, false, malicious, injurious and intended to lower the reputation and integrity of and did indeed lower the reputation and integrity of the Plaintiff in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society within and outside Nigeria
“AN ORDER OF THIS COURT restraining the defendants and its proxies and anyone associated with the defendant from continuously harassing. threatening to malign and defame the plaintiff by any press and social media means in whatever sense, as it relates to the plaintiff with the defendant.
“A MANDATORY INJUNCTION AND ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT directing the Defendant to retract the libelous and social media defamatory x (twitter) defamatory post and publications shared by defendant with wired article and Npr online news story against the Plaintiff, and also to publish an unreserved apology in at least three (3) national newspapers within seven (7) days from the date of judgment.
“AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT restraining the Defendant, whether acting by itself, servants, agents, operatives or by whomever and howsoever from distributing or further distributing, publishing or further publishing in any form or manner, the same or similar offensive online libelous materials or stories concerning the Plaintiff.
“The sum of N 1, 000, 000, 000.00 (One Billion Naira)or its equivalent in dollars only as General damages for the false, injurious, malicious and libelous x (twitter) defamatory post and press publications made by the Defendant against the Plaintiff.
“An order of Court that the defendant releasing non consented official designation and details of plaintiff and herein imputing corruption allegations is breach of plaintiff right to privacy as guarantened by section 37 of CFrn.
“Cost of this suit being the sum of N 5, 000, 000. 00 (Five Million Naira) only.
“ANY OTHER ORDER(S) as this Honorable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.