The Enugu State Government has rejected recent allegations made by Olasijibomi Ogundele, CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, dismissing them as “crocodile tears” and accusing him of orchestrating a premeditated fraud that cost the state nearly N6 billion.
In a statement at the weekend by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, the government alleged that Ogundele disappeared after receiving N5.7 billion as 50 per cent mobilisation fee for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across the State.
According to the government, the contract, worth N11.4 billion, was awarded to Sujimoto on July 2, 2024, with a six-month completion timeline.
However, instead of delivering the projects, Ogundele allegedly resorted to shoddy work, employed quack engineers and eventually abandoned all sites without meeting any structural specifications.
“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. He refused to honour periodic project briefings, avoided calls and messages, and absconded from site inspections,” the statement read.
The government further revealed that Ogundele presented a performance bond from Jaiz Bank to secure the contract but used his company’s account in a new generation bank to receive payments, thereby shielding Jaiz Bank from liability and betraying what officials described as “a clear premeditated intent to defraud.”
A joint inspection by the Ministry of Works and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 8 and 9, 2025, reportedly confirmed that most of the sites were abandoned at foundation level, with a few at damp-proof course stage.
Following the findings, the government said it reassigned the projects to new contractors who are working to meet the September 2025 deadline for the Smart Schools initiative.
Agbo urged Nigerians to disregard Ogundele’s “theatrics,” insisting that every kobo misappropriated would be recovered through the EFCC and other legal channels.
“The Mbah administration remains resolute in delivering Smart Green Schools to Ndi Enugu. No amount of crocodile tears from Sujimoto will erase the fact that he defrauded the people,” the commissioner stated.
The government also released pictures taken during the joint inspection, showing the abandoned state of the project sites.
