On Monday, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a directive requiring the Kuje Correctional Facility to provide a wheelchair for Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, who is currently detained.
This decision came in response to Gambaryan’s urgent plea after experiencing significant health issues exacerbated by inadequate medical care at the facility.
Gambaryan, who has been struggling with a herniated disc for twelve years, had previously managed his condition with crutches. However, he reported a severe deterioration in his health since his remand at Kuje Correctional Facility, including increased difficulty in walking. During the court session, Gambaryan, visibly in distress, approached Justice Nwite to express his concerns and requested a wheelchair for better mobility.
Justice Nwite, upon learning of Gambaryan’s deteriorating condition, questioned the prison officials about the denial of the wheelchair and subsequently ordered its provision. The officials complied, and Gambaryan was promptly wheeled out of the courtroom.
Earlier, Gambaryan’s legal counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, had highlighted the worsening of his client’s health due to the negligence of the prison staff and the lack of necessary medical support. Mordi detailed how Gambaryan had endured excruciating pain while using crutches to enter the courtroom and stressed that a wheelchair would significantly alleviate his discomfort. Mordi also mentioned a recent bail application filed on August 28, addressing Gambaryan’s health concerns.
In response, prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho countered the bail application, arguing that Gambaryan’s illness was being exaggerated. Iheanacho pointed out that the Office of the National Security Adviser had provided health records indicating that Gambaryan’s condition was not as severe as claimed. He questioned why the prison officials had not presented these records to the court and suggested that Gambaryan had managed his condition for years without life-threatening complications.
During the session, Tonye Krukrubo, SAN, representing the first defendant, raised an issue regarding incomplete documents from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He noted that despite a subpoena for documents that could be easily downloaded, the CBN had not provided the complete set. The prosecution later provided some documents, but Krukrubo complained that they were still incomplete. Iheanacho requested an adjournment to resolve the issue with the CBN, suggesting that one or two days would be sufficient.
Justice Nwite, acknowledging the fresh bail application and the issues raised, decided to adjourn the case until September 4 to allow time for these matters to be addressed. The trial will continue on that date, and Gambaryan remains detained at Kuje Correctional Facility.
Gambaryan, along with Binance’s British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, and Binance itself, faces charges of money laundering amounting to $35 million, brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Anjarwalla, who was initially detained by the Office of the National Security Adviser, escaped custody on March 22, 2024. Gambaryan was subsequently transferred from ONSA to EFCC custody and later moved to Kuje Correctional Facility.
