…We’re Not Involved His Arrest – EFCC
The International Police (INTERPOL) Nigeria has confirmed the arrest of Instagram celebrity Raymond Igbalode a.k.a. Hushpuppi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Commissioner of Police (CP) INTERPOL in Nigeria, Garba Umar, confirmed his arrest to The Nation, He said plans are on the
way to extradite him to Nigeria.
“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” he said
Hushpuppi and two of his associates, Mr Woodberry and Efe, were arrested three days ago, June 10, for allegedly hacking into the United States (US) unemployed database and impersonating citizens qualified for unemployment funds. According to The Nation, Huspuppi and his accomplices in Nigeria, Dubai and other countries allegedly defrauded the US government of over $100 million meant for Native Americans in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
They were arrested 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 false unemployment claims to cart away hundreds of millions of dollars reserved to help jobless American people.
They were 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.
Meanwhile, The acting chairman of the anti-graft agency, EFCC, has reacted to the arrest of Instagram celebrity, Ramon Igbalode popularly known as Hushpuppi.
In an interview with TVC, Magu said the commission is not involved in Hushpuppi’s arrest.
“We are yet to be involved in the case of Hushpuppi, but if they happen to give us this thing (details) we would assist.” Magu said
The antigraft agency boss in the interview denied the allegation that the agency is mostly interested in the arrest and prosecution of internet fraudsters. He said the Commission also rehabilitates the suspects arrested for internet fraud.
“We are not all about arresting, prosecuting and chasing of internet fraudsters, and taking away the proceeds of their crime, but we are also trying to see wether we can rehabilitate them. Because most of this boys are either undergraduate or graduate from higher institutions, so they can be better people to our country.
The menace of Yahoo boys is also a course of concern, we are collaborating with other law enforcement agencies.
Yahoo boys have an association with their mothers who do not feel what their children are doing is a crime actually. It is called the “Yahoo Yahoo Mothers Association, a suitation where the mother would go abroad and the child would stay there and help them syphon funds from credit card fraud.
So we are doing everything possible to arrest the situation” he said
