The Rise and Fall of Hushpuppi!

With the buzz and boom of social media in the last decade, the Nigerian entertainment space has been filled with different raves and different faves. They range from your traditional actors and actresses to reality tv stars, Instagram comedians, content creators and other lifestyle influencers. One of the most popular of the latter category is Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

Hush, as he is also called, has a global and fervent following of over 2.5 million followers on Instagram. This is largely due to the fact that he posts pictures and videos of his lavish spending. You’d easily find photos of him in exotic cars, boarding helicopters and private jets, wearing expensive watches and designer clothes. He has also been spotted with various celebrities, footballers and Nigerian politicians.

The source of the wealth he constantly puts on display has been a topic of discussion for years. But Hushpuppi always claimed to be a real estate developer.

Fast forward to June 2020; Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai in an operation code-named “Fox Hunt 2”. Fox Hunt 2 was part of the FBI’s investigations into cyber fraud, money laundering, and other related crimes.

It reported that an excess of $40.9 million cash, 13 expensive cars worth $6.8 million, 21 computer devices, 47 smartphones, 15 memory sticks, five hard disks which contained 119,580 fraud files, and the address of 1,926,400 victims were recovered during the bust.

He was later extradited from the UAE to the US to face criminal charges.

His arrest and subsequent extradition met with a lot of hope and respite. For many, his arrest and trial in the US was a welcomed development. Not only would justice catch up with him, but it would also happen speedily — unlike what is often seen in the Nigerian justice system — and serve as a deterrent to others like him.

Guilty or Not Guilty?

Over a year later, the question is: How much of this is true?

Initially, Hushpuppi had pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charges against him. Subsequently, however, he made a “u-turn” and entered into an agreement with the US Government. At the time, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering, one of the charges against him.

He signed the document in the presence of Assistant United States Attorney Anil J Antony, and his counsel Louis J Shapiro on April 7, 2021. This agreement could reduce Hushpuppi’s sentence.

However, this also comes at a cost; by pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering before the court, Hushpuppi would no longer have the rights to a counsel, or at best, have the court appoint one.

Vital too is the fact that he would also be required to pay full restitution to the victim(s) of the offence to which he pleaded guilty. The court may also order that restitution be paid to others aside from victims of the offences he had pleaded guilty to and in amounts greater than stipulated in his guilty plea.

Hushpuppi also gave up his right to a speedy and public trial by jury and the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses presented by the US government against him, along with the right to be presumed innocent or to place the burden of proof on the US government.

He further agreed that all court appearances, including his change of plea bargain and a sentencing bargain, could proceed via video teleconference or telephone. A notable part of the terms of his agreement is Hushpuppi’s concession not to commit the crime again.

While it is not yet over, especially considering the recent fact that Hush has gone on a “singing and snitching” spree, the question currently is: is this a win?

As far as justice goes, this definitely passes as a win, not just for the system but also for the real victims of these crimes, a reality that is rarely ever the case especially in these parts.