Plans are underway by the International Police (INTERPOL) Nigeria to extradite Instagram celebrity Raymond Igbalodely a.k.a. Hushpuppi from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Nigeria to face alleged multiple fraud charges, The Nation learnt on Friday.
The INTERPOL is also on the trail of other accomplices in the alleged fraud who
are resident in Nigeria to bring them to justice.
Commissioner of Police (CP) INTERPOL, Garba Umar disclosed these to The Nation
yesterday while confirming the arrest of Igbalodely whose real name is said to
be Ramoni Igbalode.
He said: “It is true that Hushpuppi was arrested by the INTERPOL. We are
currently working on bringing him to Nigeria to face charges of fraud.
“Some of the offences were committed here in Nigeria and he has to answer for
them. He is not alone in it; there are accomplices in the country who we are
currently on their trail,” said the CP.
Hushpuppi, known for his reckless display of wealth on social media, was
arrested three days ago for allegedly hacking into the United States (US)
unemployed database and impersonating citizens qualified for unemployment
funds.
He and his accomplices in Nigeria, Dubai and other countries allegedly
defrauded the US of over $100 million meant for Native Americans in the battle
against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nation reports that his arrest came three days after he posted a picture of
his newly acquired 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan worth about N280 million, the
latest addition to his fleet of exotic vehicles.
It was alleged that Hushpuppi was arrested alongside two of his
friends after weeks of investigation by the US Secret Service, following the
alarm raised in May about a crime ring of suspected Nigerians who broke into
the personal information of citizens and used factitious unemployment claims to
steal hundreds of millions of dollars reserved to help jobless American people.
The syndicate was alleged to have filed in so many names of Americans who were
still working to various state unemployment offices and collected money from
the system.
They were alleged to have used information stolen from first responders,
government personnel and school employees.