The Enugu State Government has accused the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Olasijibomi Ogundele, of defrauding the state of ₦5.76 billion meant for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools.
According to Politicsnigeria, Ogundele was recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering and diversion of funds.
However, in a video, the developer, visibly emotional, denied the allegations, insisting he was not guilty of any crime and was “ready to clear [his] name.”
He lamented in tears that the controversy stemmed from a contract with the Enugu State Government.
Responding to Sujimoto’s claims on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, said the contract was awarded on July 2, 2024, for ₦11,457,930,950.52, covering the construction of 22 Smart Schools.
According to him, “The Enugu State Government paid the sum of ₦5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, to fast-track the projects at all the sites.”
Agbo alleged that Ogundele failed to meet contractual obligations. He added, “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.”
He further stated that all efforts to engage Ogundele failed, “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.”
Agbo disclosed that a joint inspection carried out by the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC on May 8 and 9, 2025, revealed “minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award.”
He also alleged that Ogundele had presented a bond from Jaiz Bank to secure the contract, but received payment through Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited’s account registered with the Ministry of Works “without deploying the funds to the projects.”
According to Agbo, “This clearly shows a premeditated intent to defraud the state ab initio.”
The commissioner stressed that the government has reassigned the project sites to new contractors to ensure the Smart Green Schools are completed ahead of the 2025 academic resumption.
Dismissing Ogundele’s public defence, the government concluded, “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).”