Has Hushpuppi Been Released, Deported to Nigeria? Fact Emerges
- Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, known as "Hushpuppi" began serving an 11-year prison sentence in the USA in November 2022
- However, posts recently surfaced online that Hushpuppi, who is being incarcerated for conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars from online scams, had been released from prison
- Legit.ng fact-checked the claim, which has been making the rounds on social media, especially on X and Facebook
Washington, D.C., United States - Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has made headlines several times due to rumours of his release from prison in the United States (US).
An X (formerly Twitter) influencer, Samsonthegoat25, shared a post claiming the convicted cybercrime offender had been released and deported to Nigeria.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng reports that Hushpuppi began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.
Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. His father was a taxi driver.
As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: "He was generous. He used to buy beer for everyone around."
But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a 'Yahoo Boy,' Seye said.
In one fraudulent activity, Hushpuppi attempted to steal more than $1.1m from someone who wanted to fund a new children's school in Qatar.
Findings showed that Hushpuppi funded his luxurious lifestyle by laundering illicit proceeds generated by con artists.
In a post dated Saturday, December 27, @Samsonthegoat25 wrote:
“Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, has been released and deported back to Nigeria after his 2022 sentencing in the USA. He was released yesterday for good behaviour and commitment during his time in prison. Welcome back, Ray Hushpuppi!”
The post has garnered over 2 million views.
Samson attached two blurry images showing a man resembling Hushpuppi being handcuffed by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) officers at an airport. Several X users have questioned the veracity of his claim, but Samson insisted it was true, telling his audience, “You know I can't lie.”
Considering the virality of Samson's post and the personality involved, Legit.ng decided to verify it.
Verification on claim on Hushpuppi
Hushpuppi hasn't been released from prison
Given Hushpuppi's notoriety, news of his release would undoubtedly be a trending topic in Nigeria if credible. However, no such reports have surfaced yet. Apart from fact checks, the latest major news we found about Hushpuppi was a few years back, after his sentencing in the US.
It would be recalled that Hushpuppi was sentenced in November 2022 in Los Angeles, USA, to more than 11 years in federal prison.
He was “one of the most prolific money launderers in the world," according to US investigators.
Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in June 2020, and subsequently flown to the US for trial.
The 43-year-old eventually pleaded guilty to multi-million-dollar fraud charges, but that did not stop the United States district court from jailing him.
There were no reports of his purported release or deportation in credible news outlets, which would have been the case if it were true.
Considering the weight of his case, Hushpuppi is currently known globally.
We found no evidence that Hushpuppi had been released.
Furthermore, information from the Federal Bureau of Prisons revealed that Hushpuppi is still serving his time and will not be released until March 2029.
We conducted a reverse image search on the images attached to Samson's post. The results led to news reports from The Punch, TVC, and Leadership. These reports detailed the arrest of one Lawrence Folawunmi at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in connection with a $1.24 million wire fraud case.
According to the stories, Lawrence was arrested by the INTERPOL unit of the Force's Criminal Investigation Department in Lagos following an extradition petition from the US. He has since been requested pending his hearing on Jan. 21, 2026.
While this information aligns with narratives by bloggers who also shared these images on social media, The Punch, and TVC used a different photograph of “Lawrence” in their reports, none of which showed his arrest.
Although Legit.ng confirmed that the individual arrested by INTERPOL is not Hushpuppi, it is unclear whether the “Lawrence” depicted in the newspapers' images is the same person shown in the viral posts.
Both the pictures circulated by bloggers and those published by newspapers first appeared online between December 23 and 27, 2025. Also, we did not find any social media account linked to this particular Lawrence.
What is certain, however, is that Hushpuppi is still in custody, serving his 11-year prison sentence in the US.
Conclusion on viral claims on Hushpuppi
The X user's claim is false: Hushpuppi has neither been released nor deported to Nigeria.
Source: Instagram
Soberekon speaks on Hushpuppi's ordeal
Meanwhile, Nigerian socialite Soso Soberekon made headlines after speaking about his relationship with Hushpuppi.
During an interview with @Sneezestudios, Soberekon spoke on the nature of his friendship with Hushpuppi, his arrest, and more.
The socialite explained that he had told Hush that he could get arrested.
"Free Hushpuppi," Seyi Vibez appeals
Legit.ng earlier reported that singer Seyi Vibez stirred emotions online when he called for Hushpuppi's release.
Vibez made a call for the release of Nigerian scammers, Hushpuppi and Woodberry, which got people talking as they queried the connection he shared with the fraudsters.
Although the Afro-fusion singer has mentioned the scammers in some of his songs, seeing him make a public call for their release has put him in a dilemma.
Source: Legit.ng
