How Hushpuppi donated to our mosques, Imams tell US court

 

Two clerics, Rasaq Olopede of Madrasat Ridwanu L’Hai- L-Aroyibat Wal Islamiyat Imisi-Oluwa Mosque, Lagos State and Hudu Abdulrasak from a Borno Madrasa have reportedly stood as character witness for embattled Nigerian socialite, Ramon otherwise known as “Hushpuppi”.

Hushpuppi is a suspected Nigerian internet fraudster arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020 and was extradited to the United States on July 3. He was arrested for defrauding over 1.9 million people, the majority of them being Americans.

The internet fraudster was charged with multiple counts of hacking, impersonation, scamming banking fraud, and identity theft.

However, the clerics attested to the philanthropic acts of the suspect while also expressing their dismay at Abbas’ descent into crime.

They also admonished that the court should take his good deeds into account for his sentence.

According to Peoples Gazette, one of the clerics, Olopade in an October 8, 2022, letter to Mr Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles said, ” Mr Abbas has been a “young and thriving adult with a keen interest for development of his community”.

The cleric described Hushpuppi as “a frequent donator to the mosque I lead,” adding that “Ramon would usually contribute his part to anything that concerns the mosque; he would offer financial support at every given time when the mosque was holding events.”

“He, at different times, donated to the mosque, just like he did when he bought a generator set for the mosque,” he added.

Also, Hudu Abdulrasak, another Islamic cleric, wrote that Mr Abbas “has lent hands of assistance to many in our community through provision of borehole, water well, payment of school fees, supporting of feeding programmes,” among others.

Hushpuppi is expected to be sentenced by the US Central District Court in California on November 7, 2022.