Tigran Gambaryan

The prison he ended up in is infamous. It's called Kuja. It's where Nigeria puts ISIS militants. It's actually one of the largest prisons in Nigeria.

Yeah. It was at this moment that Tigran starts to realize that while he was locked away, the Nigerian government had been painting this picture of him as not only the cause of all of Nigeria's money problems, the inflation, the speculation, but also as a billionaire, an evil one, and a crook. How was Tigran going to get out of here? That is after the break.

Yeah. It was at this moment that Tigran starts to realize that while he was locked away, the Nigerian government had been painting this picture of him as not only the cause of all of Nigeria's money problems, the inflation, the speculation, but also as a billionaire, an evil one, and a crook. How was Tigran going to get out of here? That is after the break.

Yeah. It was at this moment that Tigran starts to realize that while he was locked away, the Nigerian government had been painting this picture of him as not only the cause of all of Nigeria's money problems, the inflation, the speculation, but also as a billionaire, an evil one, and a crook. How was Tigran going to get out of here? That is after the break.

Eventually, Tigran did get a phone, and he was able to talk with his family. He says he spent hours on video calls with his 10-year-old daughter. They'd talk while she played video games late into the night. And on those calls, he says he tried to pretend things were normal, that he was just on a long business trip. But later, he found out that she'd known all along. She'd Googled him.

Eventually, Tigran did get a phone, and he was able to talk with his family. He says he spent hours on video calls with his 10-year-old daughter. They'd talk while she played video games late into the night. And on those calls, he says he tried to pretend things were normal, that he was just on a long business trip. But later, he found out that she'd known all along. She'd Googled him.

Eventually, Tigran did get a phone, and he was able to talk with his family. He says he spent hours on video calls with his 10-year-old daughter. They'd talk while she played video games late into the night. And on those calls, he says he tried to pretend things were normal, that he was just on a long business trip. But later, he found out that she'd known all along. She'd Googled him.

In May, about three months into his detention, Tigran got malaria. Pretty common in Nigeria. It's treatable. Think like a bad flu, but worse. But if it is not treated, it can be debilitating. Even deadly. And Tigran was not getting good care. His malaria led to pneumonia. Eventually, he became bedridden. And that aggravated some of his back problems. He ended up unable to walk.

In May, about three months into his detention, Tigran got malaria. Pretty common in Nigeria. It's treatable. Think like a bad flu, but worse. But if it is not treated, it can be debilitating. Even deadly. And Tigran was not getting good care. His malaria led to pneumonia. Eventually, he became bedridden. And that aggravated some of his back problems. He ended up unable to walk.

In May, about three months into his detention, Tigran got malaria. Pretty common in Nigeria. It's treatable. Think like a bad flu, but worse. But if it is not treated, it can be debilitating. Even deadly. And Tigran was not getting good care. His malaria led to pneumonia. Eventually, he became bedridden. And that aggravated some of his back problems. He ended up unable to walk.

He needed a wheelchair to get around.

He needed a wheelchair to get around.

He needed a wheelchair to get around.

Yeah, there's this incredible video from last September. Tigran is in this echoey courthouse hallway with a single crutch. He's struggling to walk, and he's getting more and more frustrated. Because there is a guard in brown fatigues trying to get him into a courtroom. But when Tigran keeps reaching for the guard's hands, the guy will not help. Every few steps, Tigran has to rest against the wall.

Yeah, there's this incredible video from last September. Tigran is in this echoey courthouse hallway with a single crutch. He's struggling to walk, and he's getting more and more frustrated. Because there is a guard in brown fatigues trying to get him into a courtroom. But when Tigran keeps reaching for the guard's hands, the guy will not help. Every few steps, Tigran has to rest against the wall.

Yeah, there's this incredible video from last September. Tigran is in this echoey courthouse hallway with a single crutch. He's struggling to walk, and he's getting more and more frustrated. Because there is a guard in brown fatigues trying to get him into a courtroom. But when Tigran keeps reaching for the guard's hands, the guy will not help. Every few steps, Tigran has to rest against the wall.

Yeah, but the key thing that turned the tide for Tigran was when Nigerian prosecutors actually started to lay out their case against him in court filings.

Yeah, but the key thing that turned the tide for Tigran was when Nigerian prosecutors actually started to lay out their case against him in court filings.

Yeah, but the key thing that turned the tide for Tigran was when Nigerian prosecutors actually started to lay out their case against him in court filings.

Tigran was expecting the Nigerian prosecutors to at least have gone through the motions of building a case against him. But instead, what they had tying Tigran to these alleged crimes was a single sheet of paper, a photocopy of his business card. And that, that was the moment, it seems, that Tigran's case really changed for the U.S. government.