Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has suspended his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Special Duties, Abidemi Rufai, following his arrest in New York by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over alleged involvement in $350m unemployment benefits fraud in respect of COVID – 19 pandemic.
Reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, Abiodun said the news of his aide’s involvement in fraud is disturbing.
According to him: “We received the very disturbing news of the arrest of one of the governor’s political appointees, Mr Abidemi Rufai in New York over alleged unemployment benefits and fraud in the United States, this morning.
“While the Governor cannot be held responsible for the actions of a full grown adult, especially outside the jurisdiction of Ogun and Nigeria, he has since suspended the suspect from office to enable him answer the charges levelled against him.
“The Governor wishes to condemn any act capable of undermining his determination to institute an open, transparent, accountable and morally upright behaviour in the State and in governance.
“Gov. Abiodun remains committed to his agenda of building our future together and will not condone criminals either in his government or the state in general.”
The United States Department of Justice had arrested Rufai.
This was contained in a statement titled: ‘Nigerian citizen charged with defrauding Washington State Employment Security Department of over $350,000’ by the Department” on Monday.
According to the statement, Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman announced Rufai was arrested Friday evening at JFK Airport in New York, on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud “for his scheme to steal over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.”
The statement disclosed that Rufai who allegedly disguised as ‘Sandy Tang’ made his initial appearance on Saturday in New York.
He is scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday.
