Enugu State Government Accuses Sujimoto CEO Ogundele of Defrauding State of N5.76 Billion

The Enugu State Government has accused Olasijibomi Ogundele, CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, of defrauding the state of N5.76 billion allocated for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools.

According to reports, Ogundele was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday over alleged money laundering and diversion of funds. A video later surfaced showing Ogundele insisting he is innocent and ready to clear his name.

The controversy stems from a contract awarded by the Enugu State Government on July 2, 2024, valued at N11,457,930,950.52 for the construction of the 22 schools. The state paid 50 percent upfront—N5,762,565,475.25—to accelerate work, but the project was allegedly abandoned.

State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, accused Ogundele of deploying inexperienced workers and producing substandard work, failing to meet the structural requirements specified in the contract.

“Rather than deliver quality projects ahead of the September 2025 school resumption, Mr. Ogundele resorted to shoddy work, leaving sites structurally incomplete,” Agbo said.

Efforts by the government to engage Ogundele reportedly failed, as he allegedly ignored calls, messages, and invitations to project briefings. He also did not make himself available to law enforcement during inspections.

A joint inspection by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC on May 8-9, 2025, reportedly revealed minimal to no progress at the sites one year after the contract award. While Ogundele had presented a bond from Jaiz Bank, the government claimed he received the payment through Sujimoto’s account without deploying funds to the projects.

“This clearly shows a premeditated intent to defraud the state from the start,” Agbo stated.

The government said the sites have now been reassigned to new contractors to ensure completion of the Smart Green Schools initiative ahead of the 2025 school resumption.

Nigerians were urged to disregard Ogundele’s public statements, described by the government as “theatrics and crocodile tears.”

“Enugu State Government is determined to recover every penny fraudulently obtained by Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele,” the statement concluded.