Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, Hushpuppi's Trial To Kick Off in the United States

A Nigerian man charged with conspiring to launder a fortune from email scams, and who showed off his wealth to 2.4 million Instagram followers, has arrived in the U.S. to face charges, prosecutors said Friday.

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, or “Hushpuppi” on Instagram and Snapchat, made an initial court appearance in Chicago after arriving with the FBI from the United Arab Emirates, where he had been living, prosecutors said in a statement. He is expected to be transferred to Los Angeles to face charges pending there in the coming weeks, they said.

Abbas allegedly conspired with others to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in scams targeting a law firm, a bank and an English Premier League soccer club, according to a criminal complaint filed last month in federal court.

Messages sent to his Instagram and Snapchat accounts seeking comment Friday were not immediately returned. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer representing him.

UAE authorities arrested Abbas last month, and FBI agents took custody of him this week, prosecutors said.

Abbas and the unnamed others in his network specialized in what are known as “business email compromise” schemes, authorities said. That type of scheme generally involves gaining unauthorized access to a corporate email account or otherwise tricking a business into sending a wire transfer to the scammers.

Business email compromise scams accounted for $1.7 billion in alleged losses last year, according to the FBI.

A client of an unnamed New York-based law firm lost about $923,000 last year after Abbas and others tricked a paralegal into wiring them money that was intended for the client’s real estate financing, the FBI said.

Another scheme involved $14.7 million stolen from a non-U.S. financial institution last year.

NBC

Tina Knowles blasts Beyonce critics

Tina Knowles has hit back at critics of her daughter Beyonce's visual album 'Black Is King'.

After Beyonce, 38, was accused of "appropriating" African culture for the new project - which is based on the soundtrack she produced for the 2019 remake of 'The Lion King' - Tina insisted that Beyonce is of "African descent" and has worked with "African creatives" on the new album.

She wrote on Instagram: "Those who are criticizing the film (before they even see it) saying it's unauthentic, upset that B doesn't actually go to Africa or say that Bey is simply using African cultures for gain are wrong because 1. She makes less with her Afrocentric content. 2. She's actually taken the time studied African costumes and such and didn't just throw this together. She's worked with actual African dancers, film makers, directors etc on this project so for some African Americans and Africans to say it's a facade is truly discrediting the work of their own people. 3. While people whine about her not touring in Africa yet beg for more African representation in entertainment but are mad that they're getting it from one the world's greatest stars is strange to me. They'd rather have B come and they spend their money for a show once or twice every few years rather than have someone of African descent work with African creatives to create art that celebrates them that will last forever and it be done at no cost to them (sic)."

And Tina, 66, also went on to blast those who are trying to tear Beyonce down, insisting that the star "dedicates her art to Boldly show the Royalty and beauty of our heritage and journey".She wrote: "It's really sad that the women who shout the loudest 'protect the black woman' that they are the ones that are trying to tear her down. Sisters wake up!!!! Beyonce was taught from a little girl to lift other women up not to tear them down. She minds her own business , does not criticize anyone, Gives of her time and money , and dedicates her art to Boldly show the Royalty and beauty of our heritage and journey ! Her work is to change the narrative! To show that we did not start off as slaves , but that we were kings and queens before we were forced into slavery . Don't you want to see something that shows that ! Aren't you sick and tired Of seeing us as slaves ! She employs African and African-American people , fights for many 'first' in the fashion and film world . Take an inventory of yourself and your hate. Where is it coming from? (sic)."

Source: Bang Showbiz

Kanye West tweets he's running for president in 2020, Elon Musk offers 'full support'

Kanye West announced with an Independence Day tweet that he intends to run for president in 2020 – 122 days before the Nov. 3 election.

"We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future," West, 43, wrote on Twitter. "I am running for president of the United States!" 

He ended the tweet with a #2020VISION hashtag.

The news was received with memes of disbelief and endorsement, including from his wife, Kim Kardashian West, who tweeted an American flag emoji, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who tweeted, "You have my full support!"

USA TODAY has reached out to West's representative for comment or elaboration.

Russian voters back referendum banning same-sex marriage

Russian voters supported a national referendum defining marriage exclusively as a union between one man and one woman.

The referendum, which included more than 200 constitutional amendments, also paves the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 if he so chooses. 

The proposals, voted on by the public over the past seven days, were supported by more than two-thirds of voters, though the opposition maintains that the referendum was rigged from the start.

Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, slammed the gay marriage ban and said Putin is a "threat to the human rights of all."

“Russia is tripling down on its attacks on the basic human rights and dignity of LGBTQ people by adding constitutional prohibitions against marriage equality,” David said in a statement. “Putin and his administration used propaganda brochures leading up to the election promising a return to ‘traditional family values,’ using marriage between loving couples as a wedge to push through his nefarious agenda. It is shameful, manipulative and malicious."

The constitutional amendment comes after decades of legal and social oppression of LGBTQ people in Russia.

NBC News

NCDC blames rising cases on youths

INFECTED young people within age 20 and 40 bracket are responsible for the rapid spread of Coronavirus in the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Thursday.

The agency also restated that the elderly are the most vulnerable and urged the youth to take responsibility by ensuring they did  not get too close to the elderly.Director-General of the NCDC Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu stated this during Thursday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 Control in Abuja

He said: “It is increasingly obvious that transmission among young people – between the age of 20 and 40 years – as far as we know, are really driving the spread of this virus. But those that are bearing the brunt of it are people aged 50 years and above.

“Three out of five people will die from COVID-19 at 50 and above. So, we have to work harder collectively to protect our elders.”

Chairman of the PTF Boss Musyapha warned that the Federal Government would not hesitate to change the course of its response to the disease, should the need arose.

Mustapha said the likely introduction of more measures to contain the virus was precipitated by observation  that the gradual  easing of restrictions globally  had led   a rise in positive cases .

The Nation

Hushpuppi, Woodberry extradited to US

Suspected Nigerian fraudsters, Ramon Igbalode Abbas a.k.a Hushpuppi and Olalekan Jacon Ponle a.k.a Mr Woodberry have been extradited to the United States.

They were arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates over high-level fraud, money-laundering and cyber-crimes.

The official page of Dubai Police confirmed their extradition. 

The Nation

Buhari to Economic Council: do more to develop Nigeria

THE Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) was directed to develop more strategies that will put the country on a sound economic lever by the President.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive during a virtual audience he granted the Prof Doyin Salami-led PEAC.

The President, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, expressed appreciation to the council for the outstanding support and guidance it had been providing, which he described as a ‘tutorial’.

He said: “We are a country characterised by a large population of poor people, serious infrastructure deficit, lack of housing and a vulnerable economy now haunted by the COVID-19 pandemic and collapse of the oil sector and its effect on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

Making a presentation to the President, the Council commended the administration for implementing several of its recommendations, even as it presented the government with a number of tough choices to make in order to put the economy on a higher growth path.Prof. Salami, who led the presentation, specifically expressed delight with the ongoing review of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the 2020 Budget in view of the disruptions   caused by COVID-19; the deregulation of the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS); approval for the implementation of the Oronsaye Report on the need to rationalise and restructure federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as the adjustment of the exchange rate of the naira.

He, however, noted that more needed to be done to increase efficiency, coordination and accountability on the part of MDAs.

The Nation