Three Nigerian internet fraudsters, known for their significant social media and political influence, are currently serving their sentences at the Fort Dix prison facility in New Jersey. Bidemi Rufai, Ray ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, and Jacob Olalekan Ponle, also known as Mr. Woodberry, are all being held at the low-security prison.
Bidemi Rufai, a close ally of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, was arrested in May 2021 and sentenced to five years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled for release on Valentine’s Day in 2025.
Jacob Olalekan Ponle, aka Mr. Woodberry, was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison for fraud and is set for release on October 17, 2027. Ray ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, known for his extravagant lifestyle, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence until August 6, 2029.
All three inmates were transferred to Fort Dix from different facilities, with Hushpuppi and Woodberry being moved from facilities outside Los Angeles and Seattle, respectively. It is unclear whether US prison officials were aware that the Nigerian trio were allies from Nigeria and Dubai.
The US Bureau of Prisons did not respond to requests for comments.
