Afrobeat superstar, Adeleke ‘Davido’ David, has spoken about his relationship with convicted international fraudster and Instagram socialite, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
In an interview on the ‘Bagfuel’ podcast, the ‘Awuke’ crooner admitted being friends with Hushpuppi but insisted he was unaware of the criminal activities that eventually led to his conviction in the United States.
“Hushpuppi is coming out soon. He lived life. To me, it is not worth it to be locked up. But let me not make excuses for them (fraudsters). Some people are happy to ball for five years and that is it,” Davido said, while expressing hope for Hushpuppi’s eventual release and sympathy for his situation.
Davido also spoke on the harsh economic realities facing many Nigerians, which, according to him, often push people towards desperate measures.
“In Nigeria, there is a kind of hardship you would face, and you will be like, you know what? Let me ball for two years, then I am good,” he said.
Speaking further on his relationship with Hushpuppi, Davido said, “My prayers go out to him (Hushpuppi). He was my friend. I just saw him around. I never really knew what he was doing. But he lived a good life.”
Hushpuppi, known for flaunting luxury cars, designer clothes, and exotic vacations on social media, was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 and extradited to the United States.
In April 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
In 2022, the United States District Judge Otis Wright II sentenced him to over 11 years in prison and ordered him to pay $1.7m in restitution to his victims.
The United States Attorney Martin Estrada described Hushpuppi as someone who “bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle — a lifestyle funded by his involvement in transnational fraud and money laundering conspiracies targeting victims around the world.”
