A court in Abuja, Nigeria has issued a warrant for the arrest of a prison doctor over the health of a Binance executive detained in the country since February.
Per local media, trial judge Justice Emeka Nwite issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kuje prison doctor Abraham Ehizoje in response to a request by Binance exec Tigran Gambaryan's lawyer. Gambaryan's legal team allege that Ehizoje had failed to comply with an order for the detained executive's medical reports to be made available to them.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen who serves as Binance's head of financial crime compliance, arrived in court yesterday in a wheelchair, after reportedly complaining about suffering from back pain.
His health in Nigerian custody has been under a spotlight since the intervention of two U.S. Congressmen, who last week submitted a resolution to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs urging the government to consider Gambaryan a wrongfully detained hostage.
Rep. French Hill (R-AR), who recently visited Gambaryan in prison, reported that the executive's health is "deteriorating" in custody, while Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) urged Nigerian authorities to provide Gambaryan with "the necessary medical care."
His family claims that he has been “suffering immensely” while being held in Nigeria's Kuje prison, reporting that in addition to complaining of back pain, Gambaryan has suffered from numbness in his foot and has been diagnosed with double pneumonia and malaria.
Gambaryan was placed on anti-malarial medication after collapsing during a court hearing in May. Nigerian officials have insisted that he has no “serious health condition” and is doing “fine” in detention.
During yesterday's hearing, Judge Nwite ordered that Gambaryan be taken to Nizamiye Hospital for a 24-hour period under surveillance.
Binance and Nigeria
Gambaryan has been held in Kuje prison since April after being held under house arrest following his detention in February.
Nigerian authorities have charged Binance, Gambaryan, and fellow executive Nadeem Anjarwalla—who fled the country after escaping custody—with money laundering to the tune of $35 million and manipulating the foreign exchange (forex) market.
In their resolution, U.S. Representatives Hill and McCormick accused Nigeria of trying Gambaryan "in lieu of pursuing legal action against his employer," while Binance CEO Richard Teng has publicly demanded his release, saying that the executive is being held in "a dangerous prison in order to control Binance."