Fuji music veteran Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM1, has come under heavy public criticism after a video surfaced online showing him praising Abidemi Rufai.
Naijaonpoint reports that Rufai was a former aide to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun who was convicted of fraud in the United States.
Rufai was sentenced on September 26, 2022, by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma after being found guilty of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Court documents showed that he used stolen personal details to try to defraud the U.S. government of close to $2.4 million, which included around $500,000 linked to COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
U.S. authorities also revealed that Rufai operated with a false identity while carrying out the crimes.
Under an alias, he was said to have illegally collected more than $350,000 from the Washington State Employment Security Department, along with other related offences tied to identity theft.
After completing his jail term, Rufai was released from a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in Fort Dix, New Jersey, on November 15, 2024. He later returned to Nigeria.
The controversy began when KWAM1 was seen at a public event speaking positively about Rufai despite his criminal record.
The video quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing sharp reactions from many Nigerians who expressed disappointment over the musician’s actions.
Read comments below:
Tundebayo: “This is really shameful. How do we expect the country to move forward when people with influence praise someone convicted abroad for fraud?”
Funkewale: “This is why Nigeria is not taken seriously. Money covers everything, even crime.”
Sola Ogun: “See who dem wan make Awujale. This is embarrassing on every level.”
Aisha Bello: “I used to respect KWAM1, but this is very disappointing. Wrong is wrong, no matter who is involved.”
Kenny Ade: “Celebrating criminal behaviour openly is dangerous. Young people are watching and learning the wrong lessons.”
Musa Lawal: “This shows how badly our values have dropped. Anyone with money is treated like a hero.”
Blessing Okorie: “Today it’s praise, tomorrow they will push him into politics. Nigeria never learns.”