A coalition of civil society organisations led by Global Gender Safety and Moral Development (GGSMD) has accused Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd of fraud in its contract with the Enugu state government.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Godwin Erheriene, Executive Director of GGSMD, alleged that Sijibomi Ogundele, owner of Sujimoto, collected over N5.7 billion as part payment for the construction of 22 smart schools but abandoned the project.
Erheriene said the contract, valued at N11.4 billion, was awarded on July 2, 2024, with a six-month timeline for delivery. He added that the government paid 50 percent upfront to fast-track the work.
He said: “Rather than adhering to the terms of the contract to deliver quality projects for furnishing and equipping ahead of the September 2025 school resumption, in line with the priority placed on the Smart Green Schools initiative by the government, Sujimoto resorted to substandard work and unqualified engineers. None of the sites met the structural integrity specified in the structural drawings.
“Worse still, he disappeared with the funds. All efforts by the government to convene a round-table discussion on the quality and progress of work proved abortive.
“He also refused to attend periodic project briefings organised by the state government for all contractors or to respond to numerous calls and messages.
“In fact, he abandoned the sites entirely, leaving the Enugu State Government with no choice but to petition the EFCC to recover the funds paid to him.”
He alleged that Ogundele failed to honour meetings with the state government and ignored calls to account for the project status.
According to him, an inspection carried out by officials of the state ministry of works and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in May 2025 revealed that “minimal to no significant work” had been done on the sites.
The group further alleged that Sujimoto presented a bond from Jaiz Bank but received payments through a Zenith Bank account, describing the action as evidence of “premeditated intent to defraud”.
“What fraudulent act could be more egregious than presenting Jaiz Bank as bond and then using Zenith Bank to collect the funds without the client’s knowledge?” Erheriene asked.
The coalition called on the EFCC to recover the money “in the interest of the good people of Enugu state”.