Afrobeats superstar Davido has shed light on his past relationship with embattled Nigerian socialite and convicted fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
In a recent podcast interview, Davido admitted they were friends but claimed he had no knowledge of Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities at the time.
Despite the controversies surrounding the Instagram celebrity, Davido expressed hope that he would regain his freedom soon.
“Hushpuppi is coming out soon. He lived life. To me, it’s not worth it to be locked up. But let me not make excuses for them [fraudsters],” Davido said. “Some people are happy to ball for five years and that is it.”
Speaking on the harsh realities many Nigerians face, the 30BG boss pointed out that extreme hardship can push people into crime as a means of survival.
“In Nigeria, there’s a kind of hardship you would face and you’ll be like, you know what? Let me ball for two years then I’m good. People are like that.”
He emphasized that while he doesn’t support fraud, he understands the desperation that drives some into it.
“My prayers go out to him [Hushpuppi]. He was my friend. I just used to see him around. I never really knew what he was doing. But he lived a good life,” he added.
Hushpuppi is currently serving a jail sentence in the United States after pleading guilty to money laundering and cybercrime-related offenses.