The Enugu State Government has accused Olasijibomi “Sujimoto” Ogundele, the CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction, of defrauding the state of nearly N6bn, noting that Ogundele vanished into thin air after he was paid the said sum for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools in different parts of the state.
The government also accused Ogundele of premeditated fraud, explaining that while he presented a bond issued by Jaiz Bank to secure the contract, he used the company’s Zenith Bank account registered with the state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to receive the said payment, making it impossible for the state to hold Jaiz Bank liable.
The clarifications were contained in a statement issued by the Enugu State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, on Friday.
The statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt, on July 2, 2024, the Enugu State Government awarded a contract in the sum of N11,457,930,950.52 to Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd for the construction of 22 Smart Schools (buildings only) in six months starting from the date of the acceptance of the award.
The statement reads:
“The Enugu State Government paid the sum of N5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, in order to fast-track the projects at all the sites.
“Rather than play to the rules of the contract to deliver quality projects for furnishing and equipping ahead of September 2025 school resumption, in line with the priority placed on the Smart Green Schools initiative by the government, Mr. Ogundele resorted to shoddy jobs and the use of inexperienced workers and quack engineers. None of his sites met the structural integrity of the projects as specified in the structural drawing.
“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable to discuss the quality and progress of work proved abortive. He equally refused to attend the periodic projects briefing organised by the state government for all contractors or take numerous calls and messages put across to him. In fact, he practically abandoned the sites, leaving the Enugu State Government with no other choice than to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds paid to him.
“A joint team of officers of the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites to evaluate the progress of work on May 8 and 9, 2025, where it was clearly established that there had been minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award. In some cases, he fraudulently did not do excavation for all the blocks in site.
“It is also on record that he has not shown up at the sites or made himself available to either the state government or the law enforcement agencies even after those site visits.
“It is also pertinent to state that it was discovered in the course of investigation that whereas he presented a bond from Jaiz Bank, he used Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited’s Zenith Bank account number 1312731196 to receive the said payment and draw down the fund without deploying it to the projects. This clearly shows a premeditated intent to defraud the state ab initio.
“The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, who has no choice than to start the construction afresh. Tremendous progress has been made to keep the determination of the Mbah Administration to migrate Enugu children to Smart Green Schools by September on track.
“Nigerians should therefore disregard his theatrics and crocodile tears, as Enugu State Government is determined to and will surely recover every penny of Ndi Enugu fraudulently obtained by Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele (Sujimoto).”
The Enugu State Government’s statement was accompanied with pictures of the project sites as abandoned by Sujimoto, which were taken by the joint team of officials of the state and operatives of the EFCC during the May 8 and 9 site visits.
The pictures clearly showed that the project sites were mostly at the levels of foundation and DPC, with a few at the stage of block work.
Here are some of the pictures released by the Enugu State Government:
Sujimoto CEO Vows to Clear His Name After EFCC Wanted Notice: “I’m Not a Thief or Fugitive”
Meanwhile, Sujimoto CEO has broken his silence following a wanted notice issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In an emotional video shared on social media, he dismissed allegations of money laundering and fund diversion, pledging to personally report to the anti-graft agency to defend his reputation.
Reaction and Allegations
In the video, Ogundele insisted, “I’m not a thief; I’m not a fugitive.” He described the controversy as a fallout from a disputed contract with the Enugu State Government, initially meant for state infrastructure and later transformed into an ambitious “city” project including Nigeria’s tallest building.
He added that both parties took the matter to court but that he had attempted an amicable resolution.
However, EFCC’s announcement, made official on its X handle and signed by spokesperson Dele Oyewale, marked the collapse of that relationship.
Project Challenges & Economic Pressures
Highlighting the volatile economic environment, Ogundele stressed that inflation and supply chain disruptions severely impacted project delivery.
He cited rising material costs, cement rising from ₦7,000 to ₦10,000 per bag, and even alleged that in some rural areas, his team faced security threats, including gunfire.
He lamented, “In the last five years prices have gone crazy; something I could have done in two years was delayed.” Despite these challenges, he claimed he stayed committed to the project until its collapse.
Pledge to Cooperate with EFCC
Despite the public backlash, Ogundele reiterated his willingness to face the EFCC directly to “clear my name.” He insisted that the controversies stem from economic and contractual misunderstandings, not criminal intent, and asserted that the accusations have damaged both him and his company.
Background & Previous Legal Incident
Notably, this is not Ogundele’s first brush with legal scrutiny. In October 2024, he was detained by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) over an alleged $325,000 fraud involving a property transaction.
He was detained following a petition lodged by human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi but was subsequently released.
Summary
| Aspect | Details |
| Allegations | Money laundering & diversion of funds (EFCC notice) |
| Ogundele’s Response | Denies wrongdoing, cites contract dispute & inflation |
| Next Steps | Plans to report to EFCC to “clear his name” |
| Context | Claims project delays due to economic hurdles and insecurity |
| Past Incident | Detained in 2024 over alleged property fraud |
As of now, the EFCC has not publicly responded to Ogundele’s challenge.
