A federal magistrate in New York ruled on Wednesday, May 19, that Abidemi Rufai, a Senior Special Assistant to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, charged for $350,000 employment fraud in Washington cannot be released before his trial.
The 42-year-old who was arrested on Friday in New York as he prepared to fly to Nigeria, had asked a federal court to release him to the custody of his brother, who is an attorney in New York, according to federal prosecutors and Abidemi Rufai’s private attorney.
Seattle Times reports that Rufai made his initial appearance last Saturday in New York and he appeared for a detention hearing on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, he asked a federal court to release him to the custody of his brother, Alaba Rufai, who is an attorney in New York, according to federal prosecutors and Abidemi Rufai’s private attorney, Michael Barrows of Garden City, New York.
But Rufai’s brother told the court on Wednesday morning that he could not afford the $300,000 “surety” bond that he would have been required to post to ensure that Abidemi Rufai appeared for his trial, said federal prosecutors and Barrows.
As a result, Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes ordered Abidemi Rufai to be detained and taken to the Western District of Washington.
