The Enugu State Government has fired back at Olasijibomi Ogundele, Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, after his emotional video wherein he denied allegations of fraud, insisting that his tears were nothing more than theatrics.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Friday declared Ogundele wanted for alleged diversion of funds and money laundering in connection with a contract for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across Enugu State.
In a video response, Ogundele, visibly in tears, denied wrongdoing and vowed to face the EFCC. “I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive,” he said, blaming inflation and insecurity for delays, and noting that cement prices had jumped from ₦7,000 to ₦10,000 per bag.
But, later on Friday night, Enugu State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, dismissed Ogundele’s claims, accusing the real estate mogul of “premeditated fraud.”
Agbo revealed that the ₦11.4 billion contract was awarded to Sujimoto on July 2, 2024, with a six-month completion deadline. He said the government had paid ₦5.7 billion upfront to fast-track the project, but accused Ogundele of manipulating the process by presenting a Jaiz Bank bond while using a Zenith Bank account to receive the funds, a move the state described as a deliberate ploy to shield Jaiz Bank from liability.
“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,” Agbo said.
According to him, none of the project sites met the required structural integrity, and many were left abandoned. “Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable proved abortive,” the commissioner added.
Agbo said a joint inspection carried out with EFCC operatives in May 2025 revealed “minimal to no significant work” at the 22 sites one year after the contract award. The state government has since reassigned the projects to new contractors.
The commissioner urged Nigerians to disregard Ogundele’s video plea. “Nigerians should disregard his theatrics and crocodile tears. The Enugu State Government will surely recover every penny of Ndi Enugu obtained by Olasijibomi Ogundele,” Agbo declared.
