Ex-Nigerian official gets 5 years for pandemic fraud in US

By GENE JOHNSON
The Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — A former Nigerian government official has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing more than $500,000 in pandemic relief benefits in the United States. Abidemi Rufai was wearing a $10,000 watch and $35,000 gold chain when he was arrested at a New York City airport on his way to Nigeria last year. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors say the 45-year-old has a history of defrauding the U.S. government, including filing for emergency relief after hurricanes. Rufai was appointed as a special aide to a Nigerian state governor in 2020, after he carried out the fraud.