IN SHORT: Nigerian fraudster Ramon Olorunwa Abbas began serving a 135-month prison sentence in the US in November 2022. But there's no evidence that he's been released, contrary to claims on social media.
Convicted fraudster Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, has not been released, contrary to claims made on social media in Nigeria.
Abbas was a popular Instagram celebrity in Nigeria, known for showing off his lavish lifestyle. However, he was arrested in Dubai in 2020 and sentenced in 2022 by a US court to more than 11 years in prison for conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars from online fraud.
Abbas had a huge following on Instagram before his arrest, but his account was deactivated two years after his arrest.
One such post reads: “Hushpuppi has finally been released!!!”
It is accompanied by a screenshot of a tweet claiming that Abbas has completed his sentence. A lot of users reacted positively to this supposed development, with many congratulating him.
The same claim appeared on Facebook here, here, here and here.
But has Abbas been released from the US prison? We checked.
No evidence of his release
Abbas’s arrest, trial and sentencing were widely reported in local and international media outlets. His sudden release would have made similar headlines if it were true.
But we found no reports from any credible media organisations about his release.
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