Afrobeat superstar Davido has addressed his past relationship with convicted fraudster and socialite Ramon Abbas, known as Hushpuppi.

In a recent podcast interview, Davido acknowledged their friendship but insisted he was unaware of Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities.

Despite the controversy surrounding the former Instagram influencer, the ‘Awuke’ singer expressed sympathy and hope for his eventual release from prison in the United States.

“Hushpuppi is coming out soon. He lived life. To me, it is not worth it to be locked up. But let me not make excuses for them (fraudsters). Some people are happy to ball for five years and that is it,” he said.

The “30 Billion Gang” frontman also cited Nigeria’s intense economic struggles as a driving force behind the rise of illegal activities.

“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,” he explained.

“People are like that. My prayers go out to him (Hushpuppi). He was my friend. I just see him around, I never really knew what he was doing. But he lived a good life.”

In 2022, United States District Judge Otis Wright II sentenced Hushpuppi to over 11 years in prison for conspiring to commit fraud running into millions of dollars. The judge also ordered him to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two fraud victims.

Hushpuppi pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020 and has remained in federal custody since his expulsion from the UAE.

“Abbas bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle a lifestyle funded by his involvement in transnational fraud and money laundering conspiracies targeting victims around the world,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.