The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained a court order to detain the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele, over allegations of failing to execute a N5.7 billion contract awarded by the Enugu State Government.
Ogundele is under investigation for allegedly abandoning the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across Enugu State after receiving 50 percent mobilization fees amounting to N5,762,565,475.25.
According to reports, the state government paid the funds in February 2025 to fast-track the delivery of the projects within six months. However, instead of progressing with the work, Ogundele was accused of carrying out substandard jobs with inexperienced workers and abandoning the sites entirely.
The Enugu State Government stated that repeated attempts to reach him through calls, messages, and project briefings were ignored. Officials alleged that he failed to attend mandatory progress meetings, and his work on the few sites he started did not meet structural specifications.
On May 8 and 9, 2025, a joint inspection team from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited all 22 sites. Their findings revealed minimal to no significant progress more than a year after the contract award, with some projects reportedly lacking proper excavation.
The state government subsequently terminated Ogundele’s contract, reallocated the sites to other contractors, and petitioned the EFCC to recover the funds. The government also emphasized that other contractors handling similar Smart Green School projects have completed theirs within the same timeframe.
Before surrendering himself to the EFCC, Ogundele took to his social media platforms to defend himself, claiming the contract was underpriced and that inflation hindered project execution.
Meanwhile, the EFCC, which had earlier frozen Sujimoto’s company account to prevent fund diversion, confirmed that it had made “significant progress” in its investigation. The detained CEO is expected to meet with top Enugu State officials in the coming days to account for how the mobilization funds were spent or arrange a refund.
An EFCC official described the case as “straightforward,” stressing that the detention order was necessary to ensure thorough investigation and possible recovery of state funds.
