Tearful Sujimoto CEO Olasijibomi Ogundele vows to clear name, blames Enugu govt for EFCC ordeal 

The Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Olasijibomi Ogundele, has denied allegations of fraud and money laundering levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting he is neither a thief nor a fugitive.

The EFCC, in a notice published on Friday and signed by its spokesperson Dele Oyewale, declared Ogundele wanted in connection with an alleged case of diversion of funds and money laundering. The agency urged anyone with useful information on his whereabouts to contact its offices nationwide or the nearest police station.

Reacting to the development, Ogundele, in a video, explained that the case stems from a failed contract with the Enugu State government, which he claimed collapsed due to inflation and pricing issues.

“I am not a thief and I am not a fugitive. This is a contract between me and the Enugu State government,” Ogundele said, adding that he was contracted to execute multiple projects, including schools and a proposed 69-storey building, billed to be Nigeria’s tallest.

According to him, he mobilised 42 engineers to Enugu and worked across several local government areas, even sustaining a back injury in an accident during the project. However, he said rising costs, security challenges and unrealistic pricing made the project difficult to complete.

“When we took the contract, cement was N7,000, but when we left, it was N10,000. Sometimes, we were in the villages and my staff were being shot at. Eventually, things went sour between myself and the government. If I had money, I would have continued with the project,” he said.

Tearful Ogundele maintained that he remained on-site until the last day before the dispute escalated, leading to litigation. “I told the court that we don’t want to fight with the government. Now they have declared me wanted. They have destroyed the company we have built. But I am going to the EFCC office to clear my name,” he said, blaming delays on rising costs and inflation over the past three years.

This is not Ogundele’s first brush with law enforcement. In October 2024, he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja following a petition by human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi, accusing him of obtaining $325,000 from one Kabiru Ibrahim under false pretence in November 2020.

The petitioner alleged that Ibrahim paid the sum as 50 percent for a three-bedroom flat in an estate, only to later discover that Sujimoto did not have such a project. Ogundele was later released by police after interrogation.

The EFCC has urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact its offices in Abuja or other zonal commands.