Nigerian Businessman, Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele, also known as Sujimoto, has declared as highly warranted an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) placing him on its wanted list, and he is neither a thief nor a fugitive over a controversial contract with the Enugu State government that went “sour.”
But the Enugu government insists the defence of the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited holds no water and that Sujimoto indeed defrauded the state of N5.7 billion and went ahead to shed more light on the alleged deal.
The EFCC, on Friday, consequently declared Mr Ogundele wanted over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.
Hours later, a viral video surfaced online in which Mr Ogundele, visibly emotional, insisted he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Sujimoto vowed to visit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to clear his name over a contract arrangement with the Enugu State government that went “sour.”
EFCC had declared the prominent real estate firm belonging to him wanted for money laundering and diversion of funds.
However, Sujimoto explained that the fallout with Enugu State government was due to hike in the prices of construction materials.
In a video, the businessman who broke down in tears said: “I’m not a thief or fugitive, this is a contract between my company and the Enugu State government. Enugu State government asked me to help them build a couple of projects which was very interesting.
“In the middle of the project I was going to Enugu every week and the governor said he wanted to build the tallest building in Nigeria, 69 storey building, I designed it and he gave it to me.”
Mr Ogundele insisted that he undertook the project with utmost sincerity but lamented that inflation and prolonged delays worsened the situation.
“When we took the contract, at every point, I knew that it was difficult to do it because of the pricing.
“When we took the contract, cement was N7,000, by the time we left, cement was N10,000,” he said, adding that people also shot at his workers at intervals in some sites.”
ENUGU GOVT SPEAKS
In a statement on Friday night, the Commissioner for Information in Enugu State, Malachy Agbo, refuted Mr Ogundele’s claims.
Mr Agbo accused the entrepreneur of “premeditated fraud,” explaining that while he presented a bond issued by Jaiz Bank to secure the contract, he used the company’s Zenith Bank account registered with the state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to receive the said payment.
The information Commissioner said the strategy made it impossible for the state government to hold Jaiz Bank liable.
He said the contract, worth N11.4 billion, was awarded to Mr Ogundele’s firm on 2 July 2024 for the construction of the schools within six months starting from the date of the acceptance of the award.
“The Enugu State Government paid the sum of N5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, in order to fast-track the projects at all the sites.
“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,” Mr Agbo narrated.
“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable to discuss the quality and progress of work proved abortive.”
The Commissioner added that Mr Ogundele equally refused to respond to calls or attend to periodic projects briefing organised by the state government for all contractors.
“In fact, he practically abandoned the sites, leaving the Enugu State Government with no other choice than to petition the EFCC to recover the funds paid to him.
“A joint team of officers of the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites to evaluate the progress of work on May 8 and 9, 2025, where it was clearly established that there had been minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award.
“In some cases, he fraudulently did not do excavation for all the blocks in site.
“The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, who have no choice than to start the construction afresh.
“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).”
