Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has said contrary to insinuations, the Binance executive in its custody was not sick, “safe and healthy.”
The Service’s spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, stated this yesterday at the media briefing by the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee (SCIPC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), held at Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The family of Tigran Gambaryan, the head of the crypto exchange, told the Federal High Court Abuja on Friday, June 28, that his health was deteriorating in jail.
Gambaryan had been detained in Kuje prison, Abuja, for money laundering.
But the NCoS spokesperson said Gambaryan “is not under any serious health condition” contrary to what was said at the court and reported in some sections of the media.
He said, “I want to say that our responsibility is unique as a security agency because we keep those who violate the law.
“We don‘t just dwell only on their information and rehabilitation, but we have a robust health care system that is evidence to all. If you check the morbidity rates and the mortality rates in our custodial centers, I would say it‘s 0.1 percent .
“In 2020, during COVID-19, we recorded 0% of COVID patients in our custodial centres. So, if any inmate falls ill within our custodial center, we have qualified medical personnel to attend.
“And just like other open hospitals, where we felt that the condition cannot be managed within our facility, they are referred to an appropriate hospital to continue their treatment.
“ So, for the Binance executive, he is not under any serious health condition. He is fine with us and will continue to be fine with us,” he said.