'Hushpuppi's stubbornness landed him in trouble' - Mompha

A Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Ismail Mustapha aka Mompha, has said that his embattled friend, Abbas Ramon alias Hushpuppi, would not have been nabbed if he had heeded his (Mompha) advice.

Mompha, whom the EFCC named in a N157.1m fraud charge filed against a popular auto dealer, Sarumi Babafemi, alias 606 in February, said this during an Instagram Live with Daddy freeze on Saturday night.

He said, “What fucked him (Hushpuppi) up was that he didn’t listen to me. He is stubborn hence his arrest and trial in the U.S.”

Hushpuppi and most recently, Abba Kyari, were among six suspects indicted in a $1.1m international fraud conspiracy.

They were named in an FBI criminal complaint lodged at the United States District Court in California.

Mr Kyari, a Nigerian ‘super cop,’ has been under fire since the FBI unsealed a 69-page court document showing that he had been under investigation by the Bureau for his alleged link to Hushpuppi. The latter had pleaded guilty to the fraud allegations levelled against him.

Following the announcement on July 26, Nigerians began tagging Mompha, saying he was next in line to be arrested because of his association with Hushpuppi.

They also referenced Daddy Freeze’s 2019 visit to Hushpuppi’s Palazzo Versace home in Dubai, saying it was also only a matter of time before the FBI came after Daddy Freeze.

“People will accuse you wrongly, what about me that brought Hushpuppi from Malaysia, wetin my eye no see.

"The day Hush was arrested I got a lot of calls, Baba see what you have caused, you made them arrest this guy he was competing with, even on that day because of the pressure people were putting on my page,” Mompha said.

Mompha also revealed that the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, contacted him after Hushpuppi was apprehended abroad.

He said the EFCC asked him to delete his social media pages and maintain a low profile after the incident.

“I had to remove my picture (after Hushpuppi’s arrest), EFCC had to call me directly to post my picture back because it will look as if maybe I was involved, many people will just come to my page and say you are next, FBI is coming for you, is that how it works?” he said.

As of August 2020, Mompha was standing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, on an amended 22-count charge bordering on cyber fraud and money laundering to the tune of N33 billion.

Premium Times reported Mompha’s arrest including how a Federal High Court in Lagos, ordered the EFCC to release all items it seized from him.

The items include five luxury wristwatches, an Apple iPod, an iPhone 8 device, and a pair of sunglasses, which were among other items found on him when he was arrested on October 19, 2019, in Abuja.

During his interview session with Daddy Freeze, Mompha claimed EFCC unjustly punished him.

“My case with EFCC was because someone felt the need to punish a big boy like me, all because of BDC’. Nigerians on social media love to gossip and wish bad luck for rich people. And it’s not my fault that I come from a rich home, I have even hustled all my life.

“And it is not my fault that I come from a rich home. Now everybody showing off is a fraud. In this life, you will face trial, just pray to overcome it,” Mompha said.

FBISpeaking about his arrest and ordeal by EFCC in October 2019, Mompha said, “I was arrested October 18 and on October 19, two FBI agents came to interview me but I won’t reveal what I was asked during the interview but many people should know the person already.”

He also expressed displeasure at the manner in which some Nigerians on social media rejoiced over his arrest.

Mompha also said the EFCC and FBI let him go because they had no charges against him.

He also explained how the Nigerian supercop, Abba Kyari, was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for bribery.

“Hushpuppi didn’t mention Abba Kyari’s or anybody’s name as an accomplice but it is what they (FBI) saw on his (Hushpuppi’s) phone that was what they extracted,” Mompha said.

Meanwhile, the Dubai-based BDC operator, also said the EFCC targeted him for no reason.