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Ex-Ogun State Aide Abidemi Rufai Released From US Prison After Serving Sentence

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3 hours ago

Nov 17, 2024.

Abidemi Rufai, a former aide to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, has been released from prison in the United States, reports thegazellenews.com. Rufai, 47, was freed from the U.S.

Bureau of Prisons’ facility at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on November 15, 2024, following the completion of his prison sentence.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that correctional records confirm the release. Rufai, convicted for tax fraud and aggravated identity theft, is now preparing for deportation, as agreed upon in his guilty plea.

His Nigerian passport, which had been held by authorities, was returned to him on October 21, 2024, after he filed a motion to reduce his sentence.

Rufai pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2022. Prosecutors presented over 100,000 pages of evidence, which led to his conviction for defrauding U.S. government agencies of millions of dollars.

He was sentenced to five years in prison on two counts of fraud, with the sentences running concurrently. Rufai, also known as Elele Ruffy, had been scheduled for release on February 14, 2025.

Abiodun’s Former Aide, Abidemi Rufai, Released From US Prison

However, a judge approved his earlier release following new sentencing guidelines, allowing him to serve the remaining three months of his sentence outside prison.

As part of his sentence, Rufai was ordered to pay $607,000 in restitution to U.S. government agencies.

Additionally, a Nigerian court, at the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seized his Lekki mansion in Lagos and several bank accounts due to ongoing fraud investigations.

Rufai was known as a notorious internet fraud leader in Lagos and Ogun before extending his operations to the U.S., where he was apprehended.