The Enugu State Government has detailed how Olasijibomi Ogundele, Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, allegedly defrauded the state of ₦5.7 billion meant for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across the state.
The controversy began after the government alleged that Mr Ogundele absconded with an advance payment of ₦5.76 billion, representing 50% of the total contract sum of ₦11.4 billion. The funds were released to fast-track the project ahead of the September 2025 resumption date.
Following repeated unsuccessful attempts to engage the contractor, the government petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). On Friday, the EFCC declared Mr Ogundele wanted for alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.
Shortly after the announcement, a viral video surfaced online showing Mr Ogundele tearfully insisting he was innocent. He described the allegations as politically motivated, stressing that he accepted the contract despite believing the pricing was too low.
“I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive,” he said, claiming inflation and insecurity on some project sites, including attacks on his workers, stalled progress.
“When we took the contract, cement was ₦7,000. By the time we left, cement was ₦10,000,” he explained.
Government’s Response: ‘Ignore His Crocodile Tears’
The Enugu Commissioner for Information, Malachy Agbo, dismissed Mr Ogundele’s defence as “premeditated fraud.”
According to Agbo, although the developer presented a Jaiz Bank bond to secure the contract, he received payment through his Zenith Bank account registered with the Ministry of Works. This, the commissioner argued, made it impossible to hold Jaiz Bank accountable.
Agbo revealed that a joint inspection by the EFCC and the state government in May 2025 confirmed minimal to no work had been done at most sites one year after the award of the contract.
“Rather than deliver quality projects as specified in the structural drawings, Mr Ogundele resorted to shoddy jobs with inexperienced workers and quack engineers. None of his sites met structural integrity standards,” Agbo stated.
The commissioner further alleged that Mr Ogundele abandoned the project, ignored official calls, and failed to attend contractors’ briefing sessions.
“In some cases, he fraudulently did not even do excavation for all the blocks on site,” he added.
The state has since revoked the contract and handed over the schools’ construction to new contractors. Agbo vowed that the government would recover every kobo owed to the people of Enugu.
“Nigerians should disregard his theatrics and crocodile tears. The Enugu State Government is determined to recover every penny fraudulently obtained,” he concluded.
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