Embattled Nigerian socialite, Ramon Igbalode Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has been reported to have informed US law enforcement officials that he gave bribe to a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, (DCP), to arrest a fellow fraudster.
Hushpuppi who is known to display his luxurious lifestyle on social media was apprehended in the UAE in June 2020 alongside 11 of his associates over charges bordering on hacking, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud, and identity theft.
He was subsequently extradited to the US after the UAE police detailed his arrest in a special operation dubbed ‘Fox Hunt 2’ where the alleged fraudster was accused of defrauding 1.9 million victims to the tune of N168 billion.
He was arraigned and held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago ahead of his trial.
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Recent revelations by US court officials show that Hushpuppi stated during interrogation that he gave bribe to Kyari to arrest and jail one of his rivals in Nigeria after a dispute over a $1.1 million scam on Qatari businesspeople.
In a statement by the US department of justice, Ramon Igbalode engaged Kyari with a request to jail Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, his associate fraudser, following a dispute over $1.1 million loot received from the Qatari businessperson.
In the filings by the officials, it was stated that Vincent contacted the victim and informed him that he was being scammed by Hushpuppi’s syndicate.
This action according to court documents enraged Hushpuppi causing him to contact Kyari, seeking his help to arrest and jail Vincent.
Hushpuppi was also quoted as saying that Kyari allegedly sent photos of Vincent in jail and followed this up with a bank account number to which a wire transfer should be made for the successful arrest and detention of his co-fraudster.
The statement read: “Court documents outline a dispute among members of the conspiracy, which allegedly prompted Vincent to contact the victim and claim that Abbas and Juma were engaged in fraud. After this contact, Abbas allegedly arranged to have Vincent jailed in Nigeria by Abba Alhaji Kyari, 46, of Nigeria.
“According to the affidavit, Kyari is a highly decorated deputy commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force who is alleged to have arranged for Vincent to be arrested and jailed at Abbas’ behest, and then sent Abbas photographs of Vincent after his arrest. Kyari also allegedly sent Abbas bank account details for an account into which Abbas could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.”
The Assistant Director of the FBI’s LA field office, Kristi K. Johnson, stated that: “Mr. Abbas, among the high-profile money launderers in the world, admitted to his significant role in global BEC fraud, a scheme plaguing Americans.
“His celebrity status and ability to make connections seeped into legitimate organizations and led to several spin-off schemes in the U.S. and abroad.
“Today’s announcement deals a crucial blow to this international network and hopefully serves as a warning to potential victims targeted with this type of theft.”
As of the time of this report, Kyari had yet to react to the claims against him by the embattled socialite.
