A federal judge in New York, USA, has ruled that Abidemi Rufai, a suspended aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, who’s charged in $350,000 unemployment fraud in Washington state can be released from detention before trial.
However, Federal Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes delayed the release, till Tuesday, May 25, to let federal prosecutors appeal, The Seattle Times reports.
The 42-year-old, who was arrested on May 14 as he tried to travel from New York to Nigeria, was initially denied bail after his brother, a New York and Atlanta attorney, declined to post a $300,000 surety bond.
Federal prosecutors had argued that Rufai was an extreme flight risk. He is charged with using stolen identities to pilfer more than $350,000 in jobless benefits from the Washington state Employment Security Department last year.
But on Friday, Reyes ruled that a New York state resident and family friend of Rufai’s could post the bond and serve as Rufai’s custodian until his trial in federal court in Tacoma.
Nekpen Soyemi, a registered nurse whose family comes from South West Nigeria as Rufai, told Reyes she would guarantee a $300,000 bond and allow Rufai to stay at her and her husband’s home while Rufai awaits trial.
Rufai also would be restricted to travel in New York City and Western Washington and would be monitored with electronic surveillance.
