Abidemi Rufai, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, who was arrested in the United States of America for $350,000 fraud, has been denied bail.
The embattled Rufai was denied bail by a federal Magistrate Court sitting in New York.
The magistrate had ruled on Wednesday that Rufai, who was charged for his involvement in unemployment fraud in Washington State, cannot be released before his trial.
Rufai’s counsel, Michael Barrows of Garden City, New York, had urged the court to grant his client bail on self recognizance.
The lawyer had asked that he be released to the custody of his brother, one Alaba A. Rufai, who is an attorney in New York.
Abidemi Rufai had also agreed to electronic home monitoring and certain travel restrictions.
However, Rufai’s brother, Alaba, told the court that he could not afford the $300,000 “surety” bond that he would have been required to post to ensure that Abidemi Rufai appeared for his trial, Barrows had said.
Consequent upon this, Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes was said to have ordered that the suspect be detained and taken to the Western District of Washington.
Abidemi Rufai was suspended on Wednesday by Gov Abiodun, who said he could not be held responsible for the conduct of an adult.
He is the CEO of Ecobet sports betting and founder of Omo Mayodele Global Foundation.