Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday suspended his Senior Special Assistant, Abidemi Rufai, over his involvement in $350,000 alleged fraud in the United States of America.
Rufai was arrested on Friday at JFK Airport in New York for allegedly stealing over $350,000 through wire fraud in Washington.
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It was gathered that the fund was from the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD).
The government of Washington had set aside the funds as unemployment benefits for residents during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The 42-year-old Abidemi Rufai, who is also known as Sandy Tang, 42, was said to have made his initial appearance on Saturday, May 15, 2021 in New York.
He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Wednesday.
Acting U.S. Attorney, Tessa M. Gorman, was said to have accused Rufai of using the stolen identities of over a hundred Washington residents to apply for relief funds for ESD for COVID-19-related unemployment benefits.
The suspect was appointed as a Senior Special Assistant by Abiodun in August 2020.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kunle Somorin, on Tuesday told Daily Trust that the aide had been suspended “in view of the gravity of the allegations” against him.
Somorin said: “In view of the gravity of these allegations, the governor has ordered the immediate suspension of the accused appointee.
“The governor wishes to restate his commitment to an open, transparent, accountable and morally upright administration and will not condone any act bordering on criminality by anyone.”
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