Ogun governor suspends aide arrested in connection with wire fraud

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, Tuesday suspended his aide Abidemi Rufai, who was arrested in the United States on Friday for suspected wire fraud.

“Our position is that the law should take its course,” said Kunle Somorin, the chief press secretary to Govenor Dapo Abiodun. ““Meanwhile, the governor has ordered his immediate suspension from office to answer charges against him.”

Rufai was suspended after the governor was informed of his detention.

Between March and August 2020, Rufai, the founder and CEO of Ecobet, was accused of stealing the identities of 100 Washington citizens in order to file false unemployment claims.

In Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania, he was also implicated in a similar fraud scheme. If convicted of fraud related to compensation paid in connection with a presidentially declared disaster or emergency, he could face up to 30 years in jail.