Nigerians React As Ogun Governor’s Aide Abidemi Rufai Is Arrested For Fraud
In the early hours of Tuesday, the news of the arrest of Ogun governor’s aide, Abidemi Rufai, started trending on social media.
He was arrested at the JFK Airport in New York on his way out of the US and has appeared before a court on May 15. He is scheduled for a detention hearing on May 19.
Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman accused Rufai of using an alias, Sandy Tang, to steal over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.
The Nigerian politician, the DoJ said, stole the identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits.
Rufai replicated his fraudulent unemployment claims in Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Nigerians have reacted to this news and below are some:
If you don’t know the story, Don’t Envy the Glory.
Watch what you envy on here.
Abidemi Rufai’s story should be a lesson to everyone of us.
Many people are living a fake lifestyle.
He should be expecting 20/25 yrs in American prison.
Legit money does not grow on trees.
— OLUOMO OF DERBY 🇳🇬 🇬🇧 (@Oluomoofderby) May 18, 2021
Leadership selection in Nigeria is horrible. Scammers, Drug Lords, Human Traffickers, have hijacked the Government at all levels. They go into politics to clean their Dutty Money
Hushpuppi & Abidemi Rufai could become Governors of their respective States, if they weren’t caught.
— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021
Abidemi Rufai entered US in Feb 2020, and scammed over 100 Americans using their SSN to claim UB.
He used a feature of Google I already explained on this street and used +234 as recovery phone number.
Guess what, the number was the number on his DS-160/CGIFEDERAL portal.
— Agboola Peter (@baba_Omoloro) May 18, 2021
Abidemi Rufai is another exemplar of the Lekki Big Boy (Get Rich Or Die Trying). In a country with the poorest people of the world, some have chosen the “Road to Perdition.”
Not all you see on Social Media is legit. So don’t get carried away by the glitz & glamour. GREED KILLS!!
— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021
FBI 1yr full internship on Nigeria Instagram.✅
If Abidemi Rufai wasn’t caught, he wud have been peppering the poor.
Dropping hot teks on IG about Rags to Riches; aspiring & perspiring with giveaways. He’ll go to church & donate generously. An unknown NGO wud give him an award.
— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) May 18, 2021
FBI has arrested Dapo Abiodun’s aide with the name Abidemi Rufai over N312 billion fraud at JFK Airport in US.
Omo if this news didn’t come out, if anyone or EFCC says someone stole N312 billion at a go, I fit argue say na lie, mehn people are really greedy sha
— UNCLE AJ (@UNCLE_AJALA) May 18, 2021
There are many more Abidemi Rufai that have benefited from the pandemic here in Nigeria. Case study, the governors
— ✗Catalyst✗ (@The_olutee) May 18, 2021