Ramon Abass a.k.a. Hushpuppi, a Nigerian, recently made the headlines following his arrest and subsequent prosecution over cyber crimes by the US government.
Hushpuppi’s case garnered more interest and excitement across Nigeria last week after he mentioned DCP Abba Kyari, then commander of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, as collaborator in his crime empire. He claimed to have given Kyari bribe to lock up a rival, Kelly Chibuzor Vincent, in cell, to deprive him (Vincent) of his share in a loot of $1.1m scammed off a Qatari businessman.
It was rude shock and disappointment over the alleged involvement of the celebrated Abba Kyari in Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities.
Now, Kyari has fallen from grace to grass; and he is losing everything even as he faces extradition to the US.
His nemesis, Hushpuppi, lived big, enjoyed a fast-paced lifestyle, romanced with men of power and wealth and the nouveau riche. He floated and attended outlandish parties, cruised in exotic cars. His lifestyle also covered flying in private jets and wore top-of-the-range designer outfits.
The Instagram is the platform he flaunts his stupendous wealth and exotic lifestyle. He is the king of classy living.
But many do not know his background. Here then are 25 facts about the evil enigma, Ramon Olohunwa Igbalode Abass a.k.a. Ray Hushpuppi.
1. Hushpuppi was born in Lagos on June 14, 1988; and this makes him 33 years.
2. Though born and raised in Lagos, his parents are said to be originally from Kwara State.
3. The fraudster’s father is said to be a taxi driver while his mother is a baker.
4. He was named Ramoni Igbalode from birth, and while others call him Ramon Olounwa Abbas.
5. Hushpuppi once sold second-hand clothes while growing up; and as adult, he also tried his hands on music, becoming a producer.
6. According to reports, he began his evil enterprise by selling Louboutin accessories to rich clients across Nigeria, thus cutting his teeth for a life of deceit, wealth and opulence.
7. In addition to Hushpuppi, the fraudster has countless other nicknames, including: Aja 4, Gucci Master, Aja Puppi, among others.
8. The scammer was originally domiciled in Malaysia before shifting base to Dubai in the United Arab Emirate, UAE.
9. He created a façade on social media where, on his Instagram account, he gives phony motivational nuggets on “striving hard”, at the same time flaunting his blood money and ostentatious lifestyle.
10. With 2.4 million followers, Hushpupi, to many social media users, is the undisputed King of Instagram.
11. Ramoni Igbalode has more than 50 Facebook accounts which he uses in entrapping his victims. He operates the accounts using fake names, phony photos, different schools, contrasting dates and places of birth, different cities and countries.
12. On one of his Facebook accounts, he names himself as Raymond Hushpuppy and claims to have hailed from Nsukka, Anambra State, but living in Enugu. In the same fake account, he claims to have attended Imo State University, Owerri.
13. There had been questions about Hushpuppi’s luxurious lifestyle. Without any verifiable business or vocation, and with his obscene wealth and outrageous lifestyle, a big question constantly hanged on Ray Hushpuppi’s true identity. Although he had claimed to be a real estate developer, his true profession was exposed when the Dubai Police, collaborating with the FBI and Interpol, arrested him.
14. Before they were caught, Hushpuppi and his gang were reported to have defrauded 1,926, 400 victims across the world, with Americans constituting the largest chunk.
15. Indeed, he and his gang were allegedly targeting an American firm and an unnamed British Premiership Club before Nemesis caught up with him.
16. Hushpuppi is said to be worth $20 million. This explains the expensive drinks, the fashionable clothes, the private jet trips, the seven star hotels he lodges in.
17. He owns 13 super luxury cars estimated to have cost him a staggering N2.5 billion. His collections include the latest models of Bentley, Range-Rover, Phantom, Mercedes Gelentvagen, among others.
18. In his last Instagram post before his arrest, the international cyber scammer had posed with his latest exotic car, a 2021 white Rolls Royce Cullinan worth over $320,000.
19. He dated an Instagram influencer and model, Amirah Dyme, and hobnobbed with some Nigerian music stars, powerful Nigerian politicians across the aisle, international football stars, to mention a few. However, the super model later dumped him for an Arab boyfriend and distanced herself from the caged fraudster.
20. AAfter four months of tracking Hushpuppi and his gang, the Dubai Police, collaborating with the FBI and Interpol, on June 24, 2020, arrested him with Olalekan Jacob Ponle, popularly known as Woodbery, and 10 other suspects in a sting operation code-named: ‘Operation Fox Hunt 2’.
21. The fraudster’s arrest was in connection with a $35million ventilator scam. He was reported to have coordinated a staggering $350million or about N168 billion cyber scam.
22. On Thursday, July 2, 2020, Hushpuppi was extradited to the United States, to face charges.
23. On Saturday, July 4, 2020, Ray Hushpuppi appeared in court in the US, charged with running a global fraud operation, including targeting a Premier League football club, a bank and a US law firm.
24. If convicted, he faces 20 years in jail.
