Convicted Former Aide To Gov Dapo Abiodun Loses Luxury Wristwatch, Necklace

United States authorities have auctioned a luxury Cartier wristwatch and a gold chain necklace belonging to a former Ogun State Government official, Abidemi Rufai, convicted of wire fraud and identity theft.

Naija News reports that Rufai was sentenced on September 26, 2022, by the United States District Court for Western Tacoma in Washington for defrauding U.S. government agencies, including stealing approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits. Court documents revealed that he successfully defrauded 12 agencies of $600,000 and attempted to steal nearly $2.4 million using stolen identities.

Luxury Items Auctioned

As part of his plea agreement, Rufai agreed to pay restitution of $604,260 to the defrauded agencies. To recover part of the debt, U.S. authorities sold a Cartier watch and a gold chain necklace seized during his arrest, Premium Times reports.

According to Nicholas Brown, a U.S. Attorney, the items were sold via an online auction conducted by Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers. The wristwatch and necklace fetched $4,720.00 and $3,160.00, respectively.

After deducting shipping expenses and sales commissions totaling $793.31, the net proceeds amounted to $7,086.69. The proceeds were applied toward Rufai’s restitution balance, leaving him indebted to the U.S. government for $597,573.31.

Restitution Details

A breakdown of the payment showed $200.00 was allocated to Rufai’s special assessment fee, while $6,886.69 was applied to his restitution balance.

Rufai, a former aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun who served his sentence and was released from prison in mid-November 2024, is expected to be deported to Nigeria. His current whereabouts remain unknown.