Philip Agbese, a member of the House of Representatives, has filed a N1.5 billion defamation lawsuit against Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan over allegations that he and two other lawmakers demanded a $150 million cryptocurrency bribe.

Gambaryan, who was detained by the Nigerian government from February to October 2024 over Binance’s activities, alleged in a post on X that Agbese, Peter Akpanke, and another lawmaker requested the payment into their personal wallets.

In his response, Agbese denied the claim, stating that he was not a member of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, which investigated Binance, and insisted he never solicited any bribe.