As night falls in Agege, a densely populated area of Lagos known for its slums and gangs, street activities continue as usual, despite increasing cases of COVID-19. The street bars remain open here, despite a strict ban imposed by government on night clubs and bars. Suddenly, there is commotion as a group of teenage boys began to celebrate. One of them, a fifteen-year-old, has just received 300 dollars from a ‘Client’.

For those not familiar with Nigerian street language, Client is another word for ‘Maga’, the name Nigerian electronic fraudsters known as Yahoo boys, call their victims.

The boy who had received the money became a hero instantly.

“Hushpuppi!” his friends called, lifting him in the air.

The real Hushpuppi is not likely to get excited by 300 dollars. Known for his flagrant display of an ostentatious lifestyle via social media, Hushpuppi has become a mentor to Nigeria’s new generation of youths seeking quick money in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

A few days ago, Hushpuppi and some friends were arrested at a hotel in Dubai. Although unconfirmed, there are reports that he was arrested in connection with COVID-19-related fraud in the United States. Today’s Echo had reported last month that over 100 million dollars of COVID-19 unemployment benefits had been stolen by a Nigerian scam syndicate from Washington State in the US. Media sources say the arrest was the culmination of several weeks of investigation involving collaboration among different law enforcement agencies including the FBI, INTERPOL, and Dubai Police.

When Today’s Echo contacted INTERPOL’s international headquarters, the organization said it does not make arrests but investigates and reports to relevant law enforcement agencies in various countries, referring us to Dubai Police. The incidence has however, been confirmed by INTERPOL’s Nigerian office.

From the onset, Hushpuppi had been a somewhat enigmatic character. Although there has been no proof, many Nigerians suspected his wealth may not have been acquired through legal means, but they loved him, nonetheless. Despite his apparent affluence, it was hard to trace a commensurate source of revenue. Once when he was asked what he did for a living, he said he was an internet beggar. At some other time, he said he is an ambassador for Gucci. Even after arrest, his real name remains a mystery with different versions touted in the media including Raymond Igbalodely, Ramoni Abbas, and Ramoni Igbalode.

Hushpuppi’s arrest has generated a lot of attention in the social media as Nigerians discuss the increasingly popular notion among Nigerian youths that money has to be obtained by any means.

Like the teenage boy from Agege, several young Nigerians have looked up to Hushpuppi and other so-called big boys who flaunt incredibly flamboyant lifestyle despite widespread poverty in the country. They drive fast cars, wear designer labels, fly first class and hang out with the sexiest girls. It is easy to see why, in a community like Agege which has been abandoned by the government, these figures will be seen as mentors.

A String of Arrests
Hushpuppi is not the first Nigerian ‘big boy’ to be arrested and will likely not be the last. In the past one year, many rich, influential young men of Nigerian origin have been arrested by foreign crime agencies in connection with fraud.

In August 2019, the FBI arrested a Nigerian business tycoon, Obinwanne Okeke over an alleged conspiracy to commit fraud running into the sum of 12 million dollars. Okeke, known as Invictus Obi is a prominent young business tycoon that has once been listed by Forbes as one of Africa’s 100 most influential youths.

Obi had previously been seen as a shiny example of the Nigerian youth; suave, rich, and engaged in meaningful business. He was nominated for the All African Business Leaders Award for Young Business Leader (West Africa), the most prestigious award for African businessmen/entrepreneurs in the region. He had also been praised by some of the most influential people in Nigeria, including former vice president and opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar. His arrest sent ripples of shock through the Nigerian society. Thought to be a legitimate business tycoon, Obi’s arrest exposed him as a suspected secret internet fraudster, or ‘Yahoo Boy’ as the Nigerians call it.

Following Invictus Obi’s arrest, the FBI unveiled a list of 80 Nigerians indicted in a massive fraud, targeted at American individuals and companies. According to the FBI, the defendants allegedly laundered the funds through a Los Angeles-based money laundering network. Some of the names on the list were found out to be people with links to influential people, including politicians in Nigeria.

Invictus Obi’s arrest was not as shocking as that of Hushpuppi’s friend, Ismaila Mustapha, also known as Mompha, but no less intriguing. Mompha, a Bureau de Change operator with a flamboyant lifestyle that appeals to young Nigerians, was intercepted by law enforcement officials in November 2019 while on a trip to Abuja, Nigeria. A 14-count charge of laundering N33 billion was immediately slammed on him. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alleged that Mompha laundered the funds through a firm, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, between 2015 and 2018.

Read more: https://www.todaysecho.com/lifestyle/te-editorial-hushpuppi-poverty-and-the-allure-of-fast-money-in-nigeria/

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