Hushpuppi lawyer Gal Pissetzky say FBI 'kidnap' di Nigerian Instagram celebrity from Dubai

Gal Pissetzky, lawyer to Nigerian Instagram celebrity Hushpuppi, don tell BBC say FBI kidnap im client from Dubai for June.

Na for June na im police arrest Ramon Olorunwa Abbas - wey pipo sabi as Ray Hushpuppi for suspected cyber crime togeda with anoda suspect Olalekan Jacob Ponle aka Woodberry for Dubai, wia dem bin dey live.

Dubai police bin say dem recover $40m (£32m) in cash, 13 luxury cars worth $6.8m, 21 computers, 47 smartphones and di address of nearly two million of alleged victims.

Since den, Hushpuppi and Woodberry don appear for court for Chicago court on 3 July.

Di complaint against Hushpuppi wey authorities file for court accuse Mr Abbas say im leading one transnational network of cybercriminals wey dia target include one US law firm, one foreign bank and one English Premier League football club.

Wetin Hushpuppi lawyer tok?

Hushpuppi lawyer Gal Pissetzky tell BBC say im client, no be criminal and say im make im money through legit means.

"E be social media influencer with millions of followers, with millions of pipo wey respect and love am, and e love dem, and dat na wetin im do. For today society, dat na business," E tok.

Mr Pissetzky admit say e no dey "100% familiar" with social media and im children consider am too old but e know say "dat na how pipo dey make money today".

Wetin America do dey legal?

Hushpuppi lawyer say US no get authority to transport Ramon from Dubai.

"In my opinion, di FBI and di goment here act illegally wen dem kidnap am from Dubai without any legal process to do so," Mr Pissetzky tell BBC.

"No be extradition, dem no take legal steps, dem no file court documents, na simply call dem call FBI. Im no be citizen of di United States, di US get absolutely no authority to take am," im lawyer tok.

Dubai police bin tok for Facebook post say di FBI director bin thank dem for extraditing di two men.

But di US Department of Justice spokesman tell BBC for email say "you go need to ask dem about why dem call am extradition,".

But Mr Pissetzky say, "if Dubai bin wan expel am, dem suppose expel am back to Nigeria. I never hear anything like that. That na di real tori here." Pissetzky tok.

Wetin dem dey accuse Hushpuppi of?

Di affidavit claim say Mr Abbas conspire to launder $14.7m (£11.7m) wey dem tiff for one cyber-heist from one foreign financial institution for February 2019.

E no mention di name of di institution but one bank for Malta report say dem lose di same amount to hackers dat same month.

Di bank no respond to request for comment.

Di FBI say $1.7bn na im pipo and companies lost for inside business email compromise scams for 2019 alone.

"Dis case target one key player inside one big, transnational conspiracy who bin dey live ogbonge lifestyle for anoda kontri while im dey allegedly provide safe havens for money dem tiff around di world," United States Attorney Nick Hanna tok inside statement wen dem announce di charges.

Woodberry nko?

Woodberry lawyer Michael B Nash tell BBC say, "I really no get any comment right now, I have to learn di facts about dis case," e tell BBC.

Dis na afta e tell di judge for di detention hearing on Thursday say e never get chance to speak with im client. Wen dem give am 15 minutes to tok to Woodberryy, im come back to request for new date for di hearing.

29 years old Olalekan Jacob Ponle dey face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Di complain against am na say one Chicago-based company "send wire transfers of $15.2m". Dem accuse am say e convert some of di money to Bitcoin digital wallet, so dem no go fit trace am.