This Planet Money episode recounts the eight-month ordeal of Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS investigator and Binance employee, who was detained in Nigeria. The podcast details his arrest, initial relatively comfortable confinement, the escape of his colleague, his subsequent transfer to a harsh prison, and his eventual release due to US diplomatic pressure after his health deteriorated and the weakness of the Nigerian case against him became apparent. The Nigerian government accused him of various financial crimes, but the evidence presented was minimal. The story highlights the complexities of cryptocurrency regulation and the challenges faced by individuals working in the crypto industry in unstable political environments. The episode concludes with the lingering uncertainty about the fate of his escaped colleague and the damaged relationship between Binance and Nigerian authorities.
