• CEO
• EFCC
• Enugu Government
• Fraud
• Sujimoto

ENUGU GOVERNMENT ACCUSES SUJIMOTO CEO OF N5.7BN FRAUD, SAYS HE VANISHED INTO THIN AIR WITH CONTRACT SUM

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  CapitalTimesNews / 3 months
• 0
• 2 min read

The Enugu State Government has accused Olasijibomi Ogundele, CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, of defrauding the state of nearly N6 billion, specifically N5,762,565,475.25, meant for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across the state. According to the government, Ogundele vanished into thin air after receiving 50% of the contract sum, abandoning the projects and leaving the government with no choice but to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds. The government awarded the contract worth N11,457,930,950.52 to Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd on July 2, 2024, with a six-month deadline for completion. However, a joint team of officials from the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites on May 8 and 9, 2025, and found minimal to no significant work done at the sites one year after the contract award. “It is also pertinent to state that it was discovered in the course of investigation that whereas he presented a bond from Jaiz Bank, he used Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited’s Zenith Bank account number 1312731196 to receive the said payment and draw down the fund without deploying it to the projects. This clearly shows a premeditated intent to defraud the state ab initio,” the government stated. The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, who will 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),” the statement read. In response, Ogundele has denied any wrongdoing, citing economic and contractual misunderstandings rather than criminal intent. He claimed his team faced security threats, including gunfire, in some rural areas and lamented that price increases over the last five years have delayed the project. Despite this, he expressed willingness to face the EFCC directly to clear his name, saying, “I’m not a thief; I’m not a fugitive”.