By danivert

Copyright thesun

Enugu State Patriots, a group of leaders cutting across political and professional backgrounds, have accused the CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Company Limited, Olasijibomi Ogundele, of lies and emotional manipulation to wriggle himself out of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) net.

The Enugu Patriots equally alerted the public to an alleged well-oiled smear campaign by Ogundele against the EFCC and Enugu State Government instead of coming clean on the facts of the allegation of laundering and diverting the sum of N5.7bn paid to him by the Enugu State Government for the construction of 22 out of the 260 Smart Green Schools embarked on by the Governor Peter Mbah Administration.

The group stated this in a press release issued by its spokesman, Prof. Martin Anikwe, in Enugu on Monday, urging Ogundele to “return Enugu State’s money and save Nigerians his endless theatrics, lies, and cheap blackmail aimed at currying public sympathies.”

The Enugu Patriots said, “We have observed a pattern in this whole Sujimoto episode. First, once he was declared wanted by the EFCC for failing to honour lawful invitations for several months, he put up an Oscar performance, shedding crocodile tears in a failed bid to win public sympathies.

“When he eventually submitted himself, his spin doctors alleged that he was not eating enough nourishing food at the EFCC detention facility, and was not allowed enough time with his doctors and lawyers.

“Next, he accused the EFCC and South East Zonal Director of bias and compromise.”

The group, however, maintained that Ogundele’s antics were “not any different from the culture of the Nigerian corrupt, who feign sickness, employ theatrics and cheap blackmail to evade justice.”

The group accused him of playing the victim in a straightforward case of refunding the N5.7bn received, maintaining that the reported tracing of the funds to his personal accounts and Lagos projects were in order and urged the EFCC to immediately commence assets forfeiture proceedings against the Sujimoto CEO to recover the funds.

“Ogundele, even by his personal admission in his initial video, accepted a N11.7bn contract in July 2024 to deliver 22 Smart Green Schools in six months – February 2025. He also received N5.7bn (tax inclusive), which is 50 percent of the contract sum.

“The question is, did he deliver on the projects? Did he even complete one out of the 22 projects? Did he also do any jobs remotely proportionate to money received? All he has to show for the N5.7bn are mostly foundation-level jobs done by quacks, as the pictures of the sites taken on 8th and 9th of May 2025 clearly show.

“Not only did he fail to deliver, he intentionally disappeared with the money and also refused to honour series of invitations by the Enugu State Government and subsequently by the EFCC.

“Meanwhile, the Smart Green Schools were intentionally designed to equip Enugu State’s children with 21st Century education and skill sets that would make them key players in the emerging global economy. In a country beleaguered by youth unemployment, internet fraud, and violent crimes, the real victims of Ogudele’s attempt to defraud Enugu State would be Enugu children and youths whom these projects would, in the nearest future, empower to be gainfully employed and kept away from a life of crime and criminality.

“Therefore, Ogundele should be made to refund the money to the last kobo,” the statement added.

The group, however, maintained its opposition to attempts to ethnicise and politicise the matter, insisting that “every Nigerian is free to secure and execute contracts in Enugu State, so long as he or she has the capacity.”