EFCC Quizzes Sujimoto Boss Over Alleged Diversion of N5.7bn Enugu Funds

For over 10 hours on Monday, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) interrogated the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele, in Abuja over the alleged diversion of N5.7 billion belonging to Enugu State.

There were strong indications he might be detained, as questioning was still ongoing by 8 p.m. His accounts and that of his firm have been frozen pending the outcome of preliminary investigations.

Ogundele’s company was awarded a contract worth over N11 billion by the Enugu State Government. Although the state initially approved 30 percent upfront payment, the contractor reportedly requested 50 percent to deliver the project within record time. The government released N5.7 billion, representing half of the contract sum.

However, state officials later alleged that the actual value of work executed on site was no more than N750 million. They also accused Ogundele of abandoning the project and refusing to return to site, prompting a formal petition to the EFCC.

When he allegedly failed to honour EFCC invitations, the anti-graft agency declared him wanted. Before he turned himself in, investigators from both the EFCC and Enugu State reportedly visited and inspected the project site.

An EFCC source confirmed on Tuesday:

“The Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited has surrendered to our commission and we immediately took him into custody.
For more than 10 hours, we have been questioning him based on the petition of the Enugu State Government.
We have frozen all his accounts and that of his company pending the conclusion of the preliminary investigation. We will also seize his passport to restrict his movement. We are still interrogating him and are yet to admit him to bail.”

The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, also confirmed that Ogundele was still being grilled.

In a tearful video shared online after being declared wanted, Ogundele insisted the matter was a contractual dispute, not a criminal offence.

“I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive. This is a contract between my company and the Enugu State Government. The government asked me to help them build a couple of things, which was very interesting. I was going to the state every week,” he said.

Ogundele vowed to clear his name and described the allegations as unfair.

©The Nation