Ogun governor aide arrested in US over $350,000 employment fraud

Abidemi Rufai, the Senior Special Assistant to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been arrested in the United States of America over $350,000 employment fraud.

Rufai was quizzed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday evening at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York following a criminal complaint.

He was subsequently charged with defrauding the Washington State Employment Security Department of over $350,000.

The suspect was said to have used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

Rufai was accused of using variations of a single e-mail address in a manner intended to evade automatic detection by fraud systems.

US law enforcement agents said more than $288,000 was deposited into an American bank account controlled by Rufai between March and August 2020.

“Since the first fraud reports to our office in April 2020, we have worked diligently with a federal law enforcement team to track down the criminals who stole funds designated for pandemic relief,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman.

“This is the first, but will not be the last, significant arrest in our ongoing investigation of ESD fraud.”

Meanwhile, the governor, on Tuesday suspended Abidemi Rufai over his alleged involvement in $350,000 unemployment fraud.

Channels Television had reported how the governor’s aide was apprehended at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York based on a criminal complaint.

The aide’s suspension was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, adding that his involvement in fraud is disturbing.

“The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has received the very disturbing news of the arrest of one of his political appointees, Mr Abidemi Rufai, in New York over alleged unemployment benefits fraud in the United States,” he 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.”