Saraki denies Hushpuppi, slams APC for linking him with alleged fraudster

Former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki has denied having any connection with Hushpuppi, the alleged cyber criminal.

Saraka described the move by Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress linking him with the suspect as “irresponsible and cheap politics.“

Onyxnews Nigeria earlier reported that Hushpuppi was recently arrested in the United Arab Emirates by the Dubai police and extradited to the United States where he is presently charged and may spend 20 years imprisoned if convicted.

This reliable online news platform reports that Saraki made this revelation on Saturday in a statement by his media aide, Yusuf Olaniyonu entitled “Cyber Criminals: APC’s Statement Irresponsible“.

The APC’s statement, signed by its Deputy Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, had asked the investigation of some Peoples Democratic Party leaders, including Saraki, over their alleged link with Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi.

However, Saraki in his statement said that he had no form of connection with the reported suspect, and neither did he know him in any way.

The statement read thus: “The statement credited to the APC, the ruling party in our country, is one of the ways by which our anti-graft agencies are weakened and why the fight against corruption in the country is often viewed with suspicion by the international community.

“This is because when these cyber-crime suspects were operating freely and openly displaying wealth, the APC saw nothing bad in their activities.

“Also, since the arrest of those cybercrime suspects and the subsequent damage to the image and the economy of Nigeria as well as the crisis it created for Nigerians engaged in lawful businesses across the world, the ruling party had been muted (sic).

“The only time the APC deemed it necessary to make a statement was when it thought it should play dirty, cheap and irresponsible politics.

“Dr. Saraki was the only political leader who has publicly made a statement through an Op-Ed article published in the Daily Trust newspaper of July 1, 2020 titled ‘Cyber Criminals: Confronting The Few Who Dent Many.’

“At this point, we call on the APC leadership to rein in the so-called Yekini Nabena and compel him to desist from making and circulating such malicious, odious and offensive claims.”