The Enugu State Government has accused Olasijibomi Ogundele, Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, of defrauding the state of ₦5.7 billion meant for the construction of 22 smart green schools.
The allegation comes a day after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Ogundele wanted for alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.
In a viral video released shortly after, Ogundele broke down in tears, denying any wrongdoing and insisting he was not a fugitive. He claimed the contract became difficult to execute due to insecurity and soaring inflation, citing the rise in cement prices from ₦7,000 to ₦10,000 per bag.
But the Enugu government dismissed his defence as “theatrics and crocodile tears.”
‘Premeditated Fraud’
In a statement on Friday, Malachy Agbo, Commissioner for Information, alleged that Ogundele engaged in “premeditated fraud” by presenting a bond from Jaiz Bank to secure the ₦11.4 billion contract awarded on July 2, 2024, but directing payment into a Zenith Bank account, shielding Jaiz from liability.
According to Agbo, the state paid ₦5.7 billion upfront to accelerate the project, but the contractor delivered only “shoddy jobs” with unqualified workers.
“None of his sites met the required structural integrity,” Agbo said. “Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts to bring him to the table failed.”
The commissioner revealed that a joint inspection by state officials and EFCC operatives in May 2025 found “minimal to no significant work” across the 22 project sites, with some not even excavated.
He added that the government has reassigned the schools to new contractors and vowed to recover “every penny of Ndi Enugu’s money.”