The All Progressives Congress has called on relevant security agencies to probe some top members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party over reported links with suspected fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly called Hushpuppi.
The APC, in a statement on Saturday, signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other sister agencies that in addition to declaring the arraigned Instagram celebruty wanted, they must investigate money laundering reports linking the PDP leaders and financiers to Hushpuppi.
Nabena said Nigerians would need to know the kind of services the Dubai-based “international criminal ring” rendered to the PDP leaders, including the Presidential Candidate of the party in the 2019 elections, Atiku Abubakar.
Nabena said, “Reports of the criminal conspiracy linking the top echelon of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, also known as ‘Ray Hushpuppi’, who was recently arrested along with associate(s) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and extradited to the United States of America to face trial over cyber-enabled fraud and Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes should be a matter of serious interest to relevant authorities in Nigeria.
“We note that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has already declared the arraigned Instagram celebrity wanted over fraud allegations. However, the EFCC, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and other sister agencies must investigate money laundering reports linking some PDP leaders and financiers to the Dubai-based international criminal ring.”
According to him, that the “PDP leadership turned Dubai into their ‘strategic’ meeting place, ahead of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria, and ‘Hushpuppi’s’ affinity with the PDP leadership, is not mere coincidence.”
The APC spokesperson added, “At different times, ‘Hushpuppi’ was photographed in Dubai meeting with the PDP’s 2019 presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Senator Dino Melaye among other PDP stalwarts.
“While relevant authorities investigate the nature of their relationship and business partnership, we also challenge the PDP leadership to do same by opening up on the nature of the relationship, particularly the kind of services the arrested “Hushpuppi” provided them.”
