The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over N1.27 billion recovered from Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited to the Enugu State government.
This comes nearly a year after the company’s CEO, Olasijibomi Ogundele, was accused of defrauding the state of close to ₦6 billion intended for the construction of Smart Green Schools.
On Wednesday, EFCC officials formally presented the recovered funds in the form of cheques to the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, while assuring that efforts to recover the remaining misappropriated money are ongoing. A video circulating online captured the handover at Onyia’s office.
The Enugu State government had earlier accused Ogundele of “premeditated fraud” after he allegedly went missing shortly after receiving a mobilisation payment for the 22-school project on September 5, 2025.
According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, the contract was awarded on July 2, 2024, for ₦11,457,930,950.52, with a six-month completion timeline. The government paid half of the contract sum, ₦5,762,565,475.25, as mobilisation to fast-track the project.
However, instead of executing the project as agreed, Ogundele reportedly deployed unqualified workers and “quack engineers,” producing substandard work across the sites. Some sites lacked proper excavation, and none met the required structural standards.
The situation escalated when Ogundele allegedly abandoned the projects and became unreachable, ignoring invitations to review meetings and calls from the state government. This prompted the Enugu State Government to petition the EFCC to recover the funds.
A joint inspection by the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and EFCC on May 8–9, 2025, confirmed that “minimal to no significant work” had been done nearly a year after the contract award. Investigations suggested a deliberate attempt to evade financial accountability, as the contract funds were paid into Sujimoto’s Zenith Bank account rather than being backed by the performance bond from Jaiz Bank.
Following these revelations, the state government repossessed the project sites and assigned them to new contractors, who are now rebuilding from scratch. Authorities stated that “tremendous progress” has been made to ensure the Smart Green Schools project stays on track for the September school resumption.
Ogundele had been declared wanted by the EFCC over allegations of fraud and money laundering linked to the project. The Enugu State Government reiterated its determination to recover all misappropriated funds, dismissing any attempts by the contractor to mislead the public.
The EFCC confirmed that further recoveries are in progress as investigations continue. With only N1.27 billion recovered so far, the question remains: will the remaining billions be fully retrieved and used for their intended purpose? Share your thoughts in the comments.
