The Enugu State Government has reclaimed ₦1.284 billion from Mr Olasijibomi Ogundele, CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd, following investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the alleged misappropriation of funds intended for the construction of Smart Green Schools in the state.
The recovered funds, part of which had been paid to the company for projects that were either abandoned or largely unexecuted, were formally handed over to the state government on Wednesday at the EFCC Enugu Zonal Office through a series of cheques and bank drafts.
Presenting the funds, EFCC Zonal Director in Enugu, Daniel Ise, explained that the recovery was in line with the commission’s mandate to trace, recover, and restitute public money lost to economic and financial crimes.
He revealed that the action followed a petition from the Enugu State Government, which prompted the commission’s investigations.
“As of today, we have recovered drafts totaling ₦1,234,350,000, plus an additional ₦50,000,000, bringing the total to ₦1,284,350,000 for the benefit of Enugu State Government,” Ise said.
While commending the diligence and professionalism of EFCC officers involved in the case, he stressed that the handover does not mark the conclusion of the investigation.
“This is not the end of the case. We will examine every aspect of the petition to ensure that every kobo belonging to Enugu State Government that is unaccounted for is traced and recovered,” Ise said, adding that where evidence of criminality is established, the commission will proceed with prosecution in accordance with the law.
He also warned contractors to strictly adhere to existing regulations, especially the Procurement Act, and reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to working with governments at all levels to protect public resources and enforce accountability in public contract execution.
