Afrobeats star Davido opens up on his friendship with Hushpuppi, expressing support while blaming Nigeria’s hardship for rising fraud among youths

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igerian Afrobeats superstar Davido has broken his silence on his association with embattled socialite and convicted fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

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In a candid interview on a recent podcast, the “30 Billion Gang” frontman admitted that while they were friends, he was unaware of Hushpuppi’s illicit activities.

Davido voiced his support for Hushpuppi, who is currently serving a sentence in the United States, expressing optimism about his eventual release. “Hushpuppi is coming out soon. He lived life… My prayers go out to him,” he said.

Reflecting on the socio-economic situation in Nigeria, the multi-award-winning artist attributed the rise in internet fraud to widespread hardship.

Hushpuppi is coming out soon. He lived life. To me, it is not worth it to be locked up… My prayers go out to him.” – Davido

“In Nigeria, there is a kind of hardship you would face and you will be like, you know what? Let me ball for two years then I am good,” Davido stated.

However, he clarified that he was not justifying fraud, emphasising that “it is not worth it to be locked up.”

The singer reiterated that he had no knowledge of Hushpuppi’s fraudulent dealings during their friendship, describing him as “someone I just saw around.”

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Davido’s comments have sparked conversations around the relationship between poverty and criminality in Nigeria, adding a new layer to public discourse on internet fraud and the pressure of social status among youth.