A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday has ordered a temporary seizure of the funds and properties traced to Mr Abidemi Ganiyu Rufai, the suspended aide of Ogun State Governor facing wire fraud charges in the United States.
The order covers Rufai’s property located at House 11. Omodayo Awotuga Street, Bera Estate, Chevy View, Lekki, Lagos, and funds in his accounts domiciled in two banks.
Justice Tijjani Ringim made the order following an ex parte motion filed and argued by a counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) Ebuka Okongwu.
The EFCC joined Rufai, his firm Omo Mayodele Global Investment and one commercial bank as 1st, 2nd and third respondents in the suit.
The investigator stated that Rufai had already dissipated a suspicious N29.37million in tranches of N5,000,000, N5,000,000, N2,730,000, N1,100,000, N2,040,000, N2,000,000, N2,000,000 and N5,000,000.
The funds were warehoused in his accounts in three banks.
Rufai was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York on May 14 over alleged $350,000 COVID-19 unemployment fraud from Washington State Employment Security Department, in the United States.
He was indicted for alleged conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
