Although afrobeats star, Davido, says he would not encourage anyone to embrace crime, he has attested to the fact that jailed fraudster, Hushpuppi, lived a good life.
According to Davido, who is currently promoting his new album, ‘5ive’, he was close to the convict but he says he never knew he was into negativity.
In a recent podcast interview, the “Unavailable”, he said: “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,” Davido stated during a new podcast appearance.
Despite the public fallout and Hushpuppi’s ongoing prison sentence, the artist expressed sympathy and shared hopes for his eventual release.
“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). Some people are happy to ball for five years and that’s it,” he said.
Davido also reflected on the economic hardship faced by many in Nigeria, acknowledging how poverty and desperation can sometimes push people into illegal ventures.
Hushpuppi was sentenced in 2022 to 11 years in U.S. federal prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II also ordered him to pay $1.7 million in restitution to two victims.
He had earlier pleaded guilty in April 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering after his high-profile arrest in Dubai in June 2020. Since his extradition to the U.S., Hushpuppi has remained in federal custody.
