Enugu Stakeholders Demand Sujimoto Refund Alleged ₦5.7 Billion for Unfinished Schools

A collective of Enugu State stakeholders, operating under the name Enugu Patriots, has intensified its call for Olasijibomi “Sujimoto” Ogundele, the CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, to cease his public justifications and return the funds allegedly misappropriated from the state’s ambitious Smart Schools Project.

The group has publicly endorsed the ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Enugu State Government, which seeks to recover the ₦5.7 billion paid to Sujimoto. This substantial sum was allocated for the construction of 22 out of a planned 260 Smart Green Schools, a key initiative by the state.

In a direct rebuke of Ogundele’s defense, the Enugu Patriots have discredited his claim that his company spent ₦4 billion on the projects before the contract was terminated in February 2025. According to Professor Mathiine Anikwe, a spokesperson for the group, an official report from the Enugu State Ministry of Works and a subsequent site inspection in May 2025 revealed that the actual work completed was “shambolic,” with an estimated value not exceeding ₦600 million.

The dispute originated when the Enugu State Government accused Ogundele of “premeditated fraud,” alleging he abandoned the project sites after receiving a significant portion of the contract sum. The state has since moved to re-award the contracts to other, more reliable firms to ensure the schools are completed.

Ogundele, who had been on the EFCC’s wanted list, has since turned himself in for questioning. While he publicly maintains his innocence in an online video, stating he is neither a thief nor a fugitive, he attributes the project’s failures to external factors such as rising material costs and inflation. However, the Enugu Patriots have dismissed these excuses, noting that other contractors working on similar projects within the state are meeting their deadlines, which they argue undermines Ogundele’s claims of insurmountable challenges.