The Enugu State Government has accused real estate businessman Olasijibomi Ogundele, popularly known as Sujimoto, of taking N5.7 billion meant for building 22 Smart Green Schools in the state and failing to deliver the project.
Earlier, on August 5, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Sujimoto wanted over allegations of money laundering and diverting public funds.
Sujimoto responded with a video denying that he committed any fraud. He appeared emotional and explained that his disagreement with the Enugu government over the project led to the EFCC declaring him wanted.
According to Malachy Agbo, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communication, Sujimoto vanished after receiving half of the project funds as a mobilization fee but did not complete the work.
The contract, worth N11.4 billion, was awarded on July 2, 2024, with a six-month completion deadline. The government claims Sujimoto delivered poor-quality work, hired unqualified engineers, and abandoned all the project sites.
Officials said he ignored project meetings, avoided phone calls, and skipped site inspections.
The state also alleges that Sujimoto misused a performance bond provided by a bank. He reportedly received payments through his company account, shielding the bank from responsibility while allegedly planning to defraud the government.
A joint inspection by the Ministry of Works and the EFCC on May 8–9, 2025, reportedly showed that most of the sites were abandoned at the foundation level, with only a few reaching the damp-proof stage.
Following the inspection, the government reassigned the projects to new contractors, who are working to complete them by the September 2025 deadline.
Agbo urged Nigerians to ignore Sujimoto’s claims and promised that every kobo misappropriated would be recovered through legal means.
He insisted that the Mbah administration is determined to deliver the Smart Green Schools to the people of Enugu and that no amount of theatrics can hide the fact that Sujimoto allegedly defrauded the state.
The government also released photos showing the abandoned project sites as evidence.
