Suspended senior special assistant on special duties to the Ogun State governor Abidemi Rufai, is set to be released on bail after getting a surety.
The 42-year-old was arrested on May 14, on his way back to Nigeria at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, based on a criminal complaint.
Mr. Rufai, who is currently enmeshed in a $350,000 Covid-19 unemployment fraud in the United States, was denied bail on Wednesday after his brother, Alaba Rufai, who is listed in court records, was unable to place the $300,000 surety bond for his bail.
A surety was, however, presented in court on Friday, 21 May, as federal magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes ruled that a New York state resident and family friend of Mr Rufai’s could post the bond.
He would be restricted to travel in New York City and Western Washington and would be monitored with electronic surveillance.
The court also said the surety will serve as Mr Rufai’s custodian until his trial in federal court in Tacoma.
Following this, Nekpen Soyemi, a registered nurse, whose family comes from Nigeria, told the court that she would guarantee the $300,000 bond and allow Mr Rufai to stay at her and her husband’s home.
According to Premium Times, Mr. Reyes, however, delayed Mr. Rufai’s release until Tuesday to give enough time to federal prosecutors to appeal the order.
In reaction to this, Emily Langlie, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in the western district of Washington told The Seattle Times that: “Justice requires that Mr. Rufai faces these charges in the Western District of Washington. The government will take all necessary steps to ensure that occurs.
“In any instance where a defendant is being released to a surety and a residence, the government does its due diligence to ensure the residence and those monitoring the defendant are qualified for the task.”