Remarks by Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), suggesting that Nigeria “kidnapped” and jailed former employee Tigran Gambaryan for eight months without cause, have sparked outrage among Nigerians. Many Nigerians, including Web3 influencers, have branded the comments disrespectful, and some have demanded a public apology.
CZ’s comments were in response to a social media post by President Donald Trump criticizing attacks on the Nigerian Christian community. In the post, the U.S. leader warned that his country would take action if Nigerian officials failed to do more to protect Christians.
Trump’s comments sparked an immediate response from Nigerian government officials, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who pushed back against claims of the mass slaughter of Christians. While officials acknowledged the challenges posed by Islamist insurgents like Boko Haram, they stressed that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of attacks.
As widely reported by Bitcoin.com News and other publications, Gambaryan was detained by Nigerian authorities at the start of the year and remained in custody until his release in October 2024. During this period, while the Nigerian government and Binance sparred over the exchange’s alleged infractions and attempts to extort money from the exchange, the local community widely joined calls for Gambaryan’s immediate release.
In June that year, one of Nigeria’s blockchain associations issued a statement warning of the negative implications of his continued incarceration on the country’s Web3 industry.
Despite the previous support for Gambaryan’s release, several Web3 influencers reacting to CZ’s recent comments accused the Binance founder of failing to respect Nigeria’s legal system, which they said is designed to protect individual rights and freedoms.
One of those expressing exasperation was Web3 advocate Sunusi Danjuma Ali. Writing on X, Ali drew CZ’s attention to other countries which had enforced laws without being unduly attacked for doing so:
“Just as the United States and other countries enforce their legal frameworks, leading to the creation of Binance-US for American users, Nigeria also reserves the right to enforce compliance within its jurisdiction,” the Web3 advocate wrote.
Others went further, suggesting CZ was targeting Nigeria because it is an African country. Although Binance, like many global exchanges, is yet to be licensed by the local regulator, it remains popular with many Nigerians. Now, some Binance users are calling for the boycott of the platform and its token, BNB.
- Why are Nigerians upset with Binance founder CZ? CZ claimed Nigeria “kidnapped” a former Binance employee, sparking backlash and calls for an apology.
- What triggered CZ’s comments about Nigeria? He was responding to Donald Trump’s post accusing Nigeria of failing to protect Christians.
- How long was Tigran Gambaryan detained in Nigeria? He was held for eight months and released in October 2024 amid Binance-government tensions.
- What are Nigerians saying about CZ’s remarks? Web3 leaders say CZ disrespected Nigeria’s legal system and some are calling for a BNB boycott.
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