Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Raymond Igbalode, also known as Hushpuppi, wanted in relation to several money laundering crimes being investigated by the anti-graft agency.
According to a tweet on the official handle of the anti-graft agency, most of the transactions involve high profile cyber criminals in Nigeria who are already facing trial, and some who are still at large.
Ray Hushpuppi Has A Case To Answer With EFCC pic.twitter.com/3cdX70Qvv4
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) June 18, 2020
Referring to him as Nigeria’s most wanted hacker, EFCC confirmed that he was arrested on Wednesday, June 10 by the INTERPOL in the United Arab Emirates, and stated that EFCC is engaging with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), “in tracing victims of his fraudulent transactions and other fraudsters having direct involvement with him”.
“The Commission is familiar with grisly details of his money laundering transactions, involving many high-profile cyber criminals facing trial in Nigeria”, EFCC said in its tweet.
Several local cyber criminals with money-laundering networks connected to him are also being investigated, even as the INTERPOL expedites plans to extradite him to Nigeria to face multiple fraud charges.
READ MORE: Obinwanne Okeke says he didn’t commit fraud on American soil
Several Twitter users have reacted to the tweet, asking the commission to stay away from the case and let the FBI handle its investigations.
Some of the tweets referred to a similar scenario, months ago, where EFCC took up Mompha’s case from the FBI but eventually granted him bail. Others simply expressed doubts in the justice system, and advised that he be left with the INTERPOL to face stiffer penalties.
Raymond Igbalode has been quite popular as an Instagram celebrity, with the alias, Ray Hushpuppi, and much of his following is attributed to the exotic lifestyle and properties which he shows off on the social media.
Hushpuppi and his colleagues were arrested in Dubai by International Police (Interpol) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over alleged fraud.
Ray Hushpuppi’s arrest was captured on camera by an individual and posted on Instagram, after which the post went viral.
While INTERPOL has said that Hushpuppi and his accomplices were allegedly involved in fraud and money laundering of over $100 million meant for unemployed Americans, EFCC’s tweet also links him to the $35million ventilator scam.
He recently posted a picture of a newly acquired 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan, estimated to be worth about N280 million.
He also does regular give-aways and freebies on his Instagram account, asking followers to inbox their account details to receive the gifts. Up until last year, his Instagram profile read, ‘the Billionaire Gucci master’ but he changed it to ‘real estate developer’ after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested one of his associates – Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha.
Mompha has since been granted bail by the Commission, and even celebrated his birthday recently, sharing pictures of a cake designed as a bag filled with foreign currencies, and a picture of himself sitting on a Lexus car.