Enugu State has accused real estate developer Sujimoto of diverting ₦5.7 billion meant for Smart Green Schools.
Officials say he abandoned the project after collecting mobilization funds, leaving sites largely incomplete.
SEE ALSO: Sujimoto Boss Ogundele Refutes EFCC Fraud Allegations
The Enugu State Government has accused real estate developer, Olasijibomi Ogundele, popularly known as Sujimoto, of misappropriating ₦5.7 billion meant for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across the state.
The state’s allegation comes weeks after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Ogundele wanted over alleged money laundering and diversion of funds. In response, the developer had released an emotional video denying the claims, saying his fallout with Enugu authorities over the schools project was the root of the case against him.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, the government alleged that Sujimoto collected half of the ₦11.4 billion contract sum as mobilization in July 2024 but failed to deliver on the six-month project timeline. Instead, the state claimed he carried out substandard work with unqualified contractors and eventually abandoned the sites.
“He took the funds, ignored calls for progress reports, skipped official inspections, and completely disappeared from the project,” the government stated.
Officials further alleged that although Ogundele presented a performance bond from a commercial bank to win the contract, he diverted payments into another bank account, shielding the original guarantor from liability. According to the government, this amounted to a deliberate attempt to defraud the state.
A joint inspection by the Ministry of Works and the EFCC in May 2025 reportedly showed that most sites remained at foundation level, while only a few had reached damp-proof course stage. Following this, the state reassigned the projects to other contractors in order to meet the September 2025 deadline for its Smart Schools program.
Agbo urged the public to ignore what he described as Sujimoto’s “drama,” stressing that all misused funds would be recovered through the EFCC and the courts. He added that the administration of Governor Peter Mbah is determined to deliver the promised Smart Green Schools despite setbacks.
Photographs released by the state government during the inspection allegedly showed abandoned and incomplete structures at the project sites.
