Business
BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS: Provide evidence in seven days or face legal action — Lawmaker tells Binance executive

Philip Agbese, a member of the house of representatives, has denied a bribery allegation against him by an executive of Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan.In a post published on X on Friday, Gambaryan recounted his experiences in the hands of some Nigerian lawmakers.
Gambaryan claimed three lawmakers, including Peter Akpanke, and Agbese demanded a $150 million bribe in cryptocurrency payment into their personal wallets.
The Binance executive, however, failed to provide any evidence to support his claims.
In a statement issued on Friday, Agbese said he was not a member of the committee and never demanded a bribe from Binance.
“I am outraged by the false allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, claiming that I was among those who demanded a $150 million bribe from him,” the statement reads.
These allegations are false. I was not part of any meeting with any Binance executive regarding money for any purpose.
“The leadership of the committee took the matter to court, and Binance has already apologized.
“Let it be on record that I am not a member of the Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes. I visited my colleague, Hon. Peter Ankpanke, in his office, where he was meeting with some visitors about an activity of his Committee, with Hon. Peter Anakwe, a member of the Committee present.
We exchanged pleasantries and, in character with my person as an avid pursuer of knowledge, discussed Binance’s activities that did not include any demand from anyone.
“It was during this visit to the office of Hon. Peter Ankpanke, with Hon. Peter Anekwe present, that he told me they were interfacing with Binance Team from abroad over a referral to their Committee.
What transpired between the two of them and the Binance executive after I left the office is left to them.
I never saw those visitors again after that chance meeting and did not afterwards attend any meeting with Binance executives, the EFCC, or the DSS.
“I am aware that when this issue was first raised, the Chairman of the Committee went to court and Binance apologised. So, all inquiries should be directed to the Committee, not to Hon. Philip Agbese.”
Agbese noted that he has never been involved in any cryptocurrency trading and does not have a crypto wallet so he could not have asked for funds to be credited to a “non-existent wallet”.
Agbese urged Gambaryan to either publish any evidence linking him to the bribery accusation or apologize within seven days, or face legal action.
Read the full statement below:
“I am outraged by the false allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, claiming that I was among those who demanded a $150 million bribe from him.
These allegations are false. I was not part of any meeting with any Binance executive regarding money for any purpose.
The leadership of the Committee took the matter to court, and Binance has already apologized.
“Let it be on record that I am not a member of the Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes. I visited my colleague, Hon. Peter Ankpanke, in his office, where he was meeting with some visitors about an activity of his Committee, with Hon. Peter Anakwe, a member of the Committee present. We exchanged pleasantries and, in character with my person as an avid pursuer of knowledge, discussed Binance’s activities that did not include any demand from anyone.
“It was during this visit to the office of Hon. Peter Ankpanke, with Hon. Peter Anekwe present, that he told me they were interfacing with Binance Team from abroad over a referral to their Committee.
What transpired between the two of them and the Binance executive after I left the office is left to them. I never saw those visitors again after that chance meeting and did not afterwards attend any meeting with Binance executives, the EFCC, or the DSS.
“I am aware that when this issue was first raised, the Chairman of the Committee went to court and Binance apologised.
So, all inquiries should be directed to the Committee, not to Hon. Philip Agbese.
“I have never used any cryptocurrency as I do not have a crypto wallet anywhere in the world, so I could not have asked for funds to be credited to a non-existent wallet.
Gambaryan and his associate, who escaped from prison, should return to the EFCC and defend themselves. Instead of trying to implicate me, they should focus on addressing the allegations against them.
As a consequence of the foregoing, I demand that Tigran Gambaryan publishes any evidence that links Hon. Philip Agbese to the issue. The man has spewed many other lies in his report about the government demanding information on opposition elements and other outrageous claims.
I further demand that, failing to provide evidence as stated, Tigran Gambaryan must cause a retraction of his malicious claims and publication and apologise to me within the next 7 days or face legal action from my lawyers.
This is not the first allegation against me by a foreign entity.
The first was that I work for the past government and the Armed Forces to promote Nigeria’s agenda, which shows the extent of desperation by entities that are interested in undermining public office holders they perceive as nationalistic.
Business
UPDATE: Dangote Refinery Cuts Fuel Prices, Updates Petrol Supply

Dangote Refinery has announced a nationwide petrol price cut, ahead of the launch of its direct fuel distribution initiative now set for Monday, September 15, 2025.
Originally scheduled for August 15, the initiative will see the $20 billion, 650,000 bpd refinery deliver petrol and diesel directly to consumers using 4,000 CNG trucks, with zero logistics cost.
Despite an ongoing dispute with NUPENG, Dangote Group released a fresh price template on its X account, confirming its gantry price remains N820 per litre.
Retail prices have dropped to N841 per litre in Lagos and the South-West (from N860), and N851 per litre in Abuja, South-South, and North Central states (from N885)—a reduction of N19 to N34 per litre, depending on the location.
The new prices apply only to MRS and Dangote’s official distribution partners, as independent marketers are not bound by the template.
Meanwhile, NUPENG has threatened a fresh strike, accusing Dangote of reneging on earlier agreements—a claim the company denies, affirming workers’ right to union membership.
Business
Dangote Refinery Mgt Says Workers Union Membership is Personal Choices
It urged NUPENG to focus on resolving its internal dispute with the Petrol Tanker Drivers unit rather than “embroiling the refinery in its conflicts.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has said membership of trade unions by its employees remains voluntary and not compulsory, in line with the Nigerian Constitution and International Labour Organisation conventions.
In a statement made available to Ohibaba.com, the company accused what it described as “distortions of facts” by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers concerning its trade relations with workers.
The refinery stressed that it does not interfere with or restrict employees’ right to freely join legally recognised unions.
“It is therefore misplaced to attribute responsibility to Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the personal choices made by drivers regarding union affiliation,” the company stated.
Dangote dismissed allegations that it forced drivers to sign contracts barring union membership, describing the claim as unfounded.
It urged NUPENG to focus on resolving its internal dispute with the Petrol Tanker Drivers unit rather than “embroiling the refinery in its conflicts.
”The company added that accusations of union suppression formed part of a broader attempt to undermine private sector progress.
Business
NUPENG Dangote Union Memberships Agreement Collapses: What Happened Again?
Akporeha alleged that within 48 hours, Dantata ordered drivers to strip NUPENG stickers from their vehicles and forcefully enter the refinery in violation of union loading procedures.

The agreement between the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has collapsed, and here’s why.
The confrontation follows allegations by NUPENG that the Dangote Group reneged on a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this week, under which the refinery agreed to allow tanker drivers and other workers to freely unionise.
On Thursday, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, accused Sayyu Aliu Dantata, a cousin of Aliko Dangote and key player in the refinery’s trucking operations, of defying the resolution reached on September 9 at the Department of State Services headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting, mediated by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, affirmed the rights of Petroleum Tanker Drivers under NUPENG to unionise. Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, DSS, and other agencies witnessed the signing of the MoU.
But Akporeha alleged that within 48 hours, Dantata ordered drivers to strip NUPENG stickers from their vehicles and forcefully enter the refinery in violation of union loading procedures.
“Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata flew over them several times with his helicopter and then called the navy of the Federal Republic to come over ostensibly to crush the union officials. Our members are waiting for him and his agents to run them over,” Akporeha said in a statement.
The union condemned what it described as Dantata’s “impunity” and warned the Federal Government not to allow security agencies funded by taxpayers to be used against workers.
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