Funds diverted, sites abandoned — Why Enugu govt petitioned EFCC against sujimoto
The Enugu State Government has accused Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd of abandoning a ₦11.4 billion contract for the construction of 22 Smart Schools across the state, after allegedly diverting funds meant for the project.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, the government explained that it petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because “funds were diverted and sites abandoned.”
According to the statement, the contract was awarded on July 2, 2024, with a completion timeline of six months, to ensure the Smart School buildings would be ready ahead of the September 2025 resumption.
The government said it paid Sujimoto ₦5.76 billion, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, to fast-track the projects. However, Ogundele allegedly resorted to shoddy work, engaged unqualified workers, and failed to meet structural specifications at all the sites.
“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money,” the statement said, adding that the contractor ignored invitations for discussions, failed to attend periodic project briefings, and refused to respond to calls and messages.
A joint inspection by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC in May 2025 reportedly confirmed minimal to no significant work had been done, with some sites lacking even basic excavation.
Investigations also revealed that while Ogundele presented a performance bond from Jaiz Bank, he received and drew down the funds using a Zenith Bank account, which the government described as evidence of “premeditated intent to defraud the state ab initio.”
The statement noted that the abandoned sites have since been reassigned to new contractors, who had to start the projects afresh. It added that tremendous progress has been made to keep Governor Peter Mbah’s Smart Green Schools initiative on track.
The Enugu State Government urged Nigerians to disregard what it described as Ogundele’s “theatrics and crocodile tears,” stressing that it remains determined to recover every penny fraudulently obtained.
