Dapo Abiodun ally Bidemi Rufai released from US prison

Abidemi Rufai, Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun’s associate, has been released from prison in the United States, Peoples Gazette has learnt.

Mr Rufai, 47, was released from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ custody in Fort Dix, New Jersey, on November 15, 2024, The Gazette understands via correctional documents. The convicted felon would now ready himself for deportation from the U.S. as stipulated in his guilty plea. His Nigerian passport was returned to him on October 21, 2024, after he filed a motion to reduce his sentencing.

When he pleaded guilty to allegations of tax fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2022, Mr Rufai waived his rights to challenge deportation after serving out his jail sentence.

He was sentenced to 60 months in prison on two counts of fraud in 2022 after prosecutors presented a strong case of multimillion-dollar fraud backed with 100,000 pages of evidence before a federal judge in Tacoma, Washington. The terms were scheduled to run concurrently.

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Mr Rufai, widely known as Elele Ruffy, was scheduled to be released on Valentine’s Day in 2025 but a judge approved his motion to be released earlier based on new sentencing guidelines, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons forwent the three months left of his sentence.

He was ordered to pay $607,000 in restitution to the U.S. government agencies across multiple states, and a Nigerian court ordered the seizure of his Lekki mansion in Lagos and bank accounts after the anti-graft office EFCC filed fraud charges against him.

Mr Rufai was widely known as a notorious Internet fraud ringleader in Lagos and Ogun for many years before he extended his fraudulent operations to the U.S., where he got nabbed.

He served in the same prison as infamous Internet fraudsters Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas and Jacob Olalekan Ponle, also known as Mr Woodberry, who are still serving long sentences in American jails.

It was not immediately clear whether or not Mr Rufai would return to his job as an aide to Mr Abiodun in Ogun. The governor was arrested for fraud in Florida over three decades ago, but his punishment was unclear.

Dapo Abiodun ally Bidemi Rufai released from US prison

Dismissed soldier arrested for armed robbery in Osun

A 34-year-old dismissed soldier, Anthony Emmanuel, has been arrested over several robberies in Esa-Oke community in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.

The Nation learnt that Emmanuel perpetrated the crime with three other dismissed soldiers.

Parading the suspects at the Osun Police Command, the Police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, stated Emmanuel with others took their victims into a bush and forced them to transfer N3m before they were released.

“They also robbed one Olawumi Oluwaseun and Ishola of their iphone 12 and iphone 13 respectively, valued at N1.25million before they were also freed. They carried their operations in military uniform,” she stated.

She noted that the anti kidnapping squad of the Command led the operation where Emmanuel was arrested. It was also discovered that one David Agbebaku who carried out the operation with him has been arrested in Oyo State for another offence.

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Emmanuel said: “I and David, another dismissed Soldier, kidnapped a young man who transferred money into an account. David later transferred N2million to my account.

“The victim didn’t transfer money to me. The military paraphernalia are all mine, I bought the rank and put on it. David brought me for the operation from Ibadan to Esa-Oke.

” I served in the Nigerian Army for fourteen years, nine months I went on foreign mission with the United Nations in 2014 under 35 192 battalion and went for a mission in the North East.

“I was being court marshalled for misconduct to the service, indiscipline, insubordination and desert. I was dismissed as corporal in January. I know I have committed an offence against the Military and Nigeria and I hope I can be forgiven. This will not repeat itself again.”

Dismissed soldier arrested for armed robbery in Osun

Bobrisky sues EFCC, demands N1.2bn for alleged rights violations

Idris Okuneye, widely recognized as Bobrisky, has filed a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the national assembly, accusing them of infringing on her fundamental rights.

In an Instagram post on Saturday, Bobrisky shared court documents dated October 10 that seek to prevent the EFCC and national assembly from “harassing, detaining, or declaring me wanted.”

In the

 lawsuit, Bobrisky alleged that the EFCC’s investigation was based on hearsay from a WhatsApp conversation published by VeryDarkMan.

S/he accused the commission of failing to verify the authenticity of the recording, leading to social media ridicule, threats to her safety, and violations of her privacy.

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The crossdresser is demanding N200 million from the EFCC for “psychotic trauma” and N1 billion from the national assembly for “violating my right to a fair hearing.”

The court documents further state:

“The sum of one billion against the 1st respondent being damages for unlawful attempt to violate the right to fair hearing of the applicant, violate his right from discrimination, violate his right to private and family life, right to privacy of his home and telephone conversations.”

“The sum of two hundred million naira against the 2nd respondent being damages suffered, psychotically trauma, mental torture and criminal stigmatisation caused by the reckless report given by the 2nd respondent to the 1st respondent without any proper investigation and fair hearing stating that the doctored social media published audio by Verydarkman was true…”

In her post, Bobrisky accused the EFCC and other security agencies of ignoring court orders and worsening her health.

“Notwithstanding the earlier filing of this fundamental rights matter, the EFCC still violently assaulted and harassed me and pulled me out of a plane set for takeoff,” she wrote.

She also alleged that security agencies act above the law, urging the international community to take notice.

“It is a shame that the EFCC does not respect the court, neither does any security agency. They act above the law which they claim to protect and implement.”