The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained a court order to detain Sijibomi Ogundele, Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, over allegations of failing to deliver 22 Smart Green School projects in Enugu State despite receiving ₦5.7 billion. The state government petitioned the anti-graft agency after claiming the projects were abandoned with little to no work done.
Sources within EFCC confirmed that Ogundele is currently being interrogated in custody. His accounts, along with those of his company, were frozen earlier, while his international passport was seized to prevent him from fleeing. Investigators insist there is documentary evidence showing he received the money but defaulted on contractual obligations.
If found guilty, the EFCC may push for forfeiture of funds in his accounts. According to officials, Ogundele is expected to either justify how the money was spent or refund it. The Commission has also scheduled meetings between him and senior Enugu State officials as part of the probe.
The Enugu State government, in its detailed response, accused Ogundele of delivering shoddy work using inexperienced workers and abandoning the sites after receiving a 50% mobilization fee. Officials stated that inspections conducted in May 2025 showed most sites were at foundation level, with minimal progress one year after the contract was awarded.
They further revealed that while Ogundele allegedly vanished, other contractors working on similar Smart Green School projects successfully delivered quality jobs on schedule. Some of these firms have since been re-awarded the abandoned sites to restart construction from scratch.
Supporting this, contractor Benneth Nwatu, CEO of Ever Progressive Integrated Resources Venture, testified that his company had completed several Smart Green Schools within six months. He explained that prompt delivery earned them more projects, highlighting the contrast with Sujimoto’s performance.
