Philip Agbese, a member of the House of Representatives, has filed a lawsuit against Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, over allegations of defamation.
In a post on X last Friday, February 14, Gambaryan claimed that three Nigerian lawmakers, including Peter Akpanke and Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, demanded a $150 million bribe in cryptocurrency.
Reacting to the accusation, Agbese denied any involvement in cryptocurrency trading, stating that 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 linking him to the bribery allegations, issue a public apology within seven days, or face legal action. However, less than three days after making this statement, Agbese filed a lawsuit before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, seeking N1.5 billion in damages.
The lawmaker also requested the court to restrain Gambaryan and his associates from making further defamatory statements against him and demanded a retraction of the post and other related publications.
In a statement issued on Monday, February 17, Agbese explained why he decided to proceed 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.
“I was compelled to approach the court because my reputation as a citizen, a distinguished congressman, and that of my country is at stake, such that if I failed to do this today, posterity, my children, and the generation unborn will not forgive me.
“The accuser, who made the false statements, is not in any way ready to apologize for defaming me. He has instead chosen to say he would like to be excused from making further comments on the issue because he wants to spend more time with his family.
“This is totally wrong. I am an African and have a larger family and more loved ones to stay with than Gambaryan. He must come to the court to prove his allegations or be ready to pay the compensation I have demanded.
“This is not for the billions that will come at the end of the day from Gambaryan but to serve as a deterrent to others like Gambaryan in the society who think falsehood is a strategy of getting away with their crimes against our country and humanity.”