From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), yesterday, assured that the Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, currently in its custody, is safe, sound and in a good state of health.
Gambaryan had been in custody at the Kuje Prison, Abuja, over alleged tax evasion and money laundering.
The assurance came after the family of Tigran Gambaryan, the head of crypto exchange, told the Federal High Court Abuja, last Friday, that his health was deteriorating in prison custody.
NCoS, Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, made the disclosure at a media briefing by the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee (STIPC) Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Abuja.
The NCoS spokesperson, responding to questions from journalists over the health status of Gambaryan, said “he is not under any serious health condition”, contrary to what was said at the court and reported in some sections of the media.
Umar said: “ I want to say that our responsibility is unique as a security agency, because we keep those who are in conflict with 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 centres, I would say it’s 0.1 percent.
The NCos spokesperson, who boasted about the quality of health care and medical personnel by the service, said: “In 2020, during COVID-19, we recorded 0% of COVID patients in our custodial centres. So, if any inmate falls ill within our custodial centre, we have qualified medical personnel to attend to them.
“And just like other open hospitals, where we felt that the condition cannot be managed within our facility, they referred them to an appropriate hospital where they will continue their treatment.
“So for the Binance executive, he is not under any serious health condition. He is fine with us, and he will continue to be fine with us.”