Shortly after the Nigerian government dropped money laundering allegations against him, Tigran Gambaryan, a key executive of Binance Holdings Limited, was flown out of Nigeria by a US plane with medical facilities, according to The New York Times.
Gambaryan was freed on Wednesday after being held since February on suspicion of manipulating naira by the cryptocurrency trading company.
This came after several less combative talks between Nigerian and American officials, which resulted in a major diplomatic intervention.
Gambaryan reportedly experienced serious health problems while in detention, such as double pneumonia, malaria, and a ruptured disc, and needed immediate medical attention.
Due to his serious physical condition, his wife, Yuki Gambaryan, had repeatedly appealed to the Nigerian government, which had a big impact on the decision for his release and subsequent medical evacuation.
Gambaryan was left to deal with the legal issues on his own after Nadeem Anjarwalla, a fellow inmate and regional manager for Binance, escaped from the Office of the National Security Adviser’s (ONSA) custody in March.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was cited as saying that Gambaryan’s release is a result of both nations’ willingness to cooperate.