A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of some funds and properties traced to Mr Abidemi Ganiyu Rufai, the suspended aide of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun who is facing wire fraud charges in the United States.
The court order, which was granted on Tuesday, August 31, covers Rufai’s property located in Lekki and funds in his accounts domiciled in Sterling and Zenith banks.
Justice Tijjani Ringim made the order sequel to an ex parte motion filed and argued by a counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ebuka Okongwu.
The EFCC joined Rufai, his firm Omo Mayodele Global Investment; and Sterling Bank PLC as the first, second and third respondents in the suit. Okongwu told the judge that it was essential for the court to grant the prayer of interim forfeiture to preserve the res and prevent further dissipation of the defendant’s funds in his Sterling Bank account.
According to an affidavit sworn to by an EFCC investigator, Usman Abdulhamid, “Rufai had already dissipated a suspicious N29.37m in tranches of N5m, N5m, N2.7m, N1.1m, N2m, N2m, N2m, and N5m. The funds were warehoused in his accounts in three banks. The funds were warehoused in his accounts in three banks.”
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Rufai was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on May 14 over alleged $350,000 COVID-19 unemployment fr*ud from the Washington State Employment Security Department, in the US. He was indicted for alleged conspiracy, wire fr*ud and aggravated identity theft.
