The Enugu State Government has received ₦1.28 billion recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from Olasijibomi Ogundele, CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited.
On Wednesday, the EFCC Zonal Director in Enugu, Daniel Ise, presented the funds through bank cheques to state officials.The state had alleged that Ogundele went into hiding after receiving ₦5.7 billion for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across Enugu.
Following this, the government petitioned the EFCC, prompting the agency to declare Ogundele wanted over alleged fund diversion and money laundering. Recovery Of N1.28 Billion Following investigations by the commission, the money was recovered from Mr Ogundele.
Presenting the cheques, Mr Ise said the recovery was in line with the agency’s statutory mandate to trace, recover, and institute public funds lost through economic and financial crimes and what he described as the “diligence and professionalism” of the officers who handled the case. “As of today, we have been able to recover drafts to the tune of N1,234,350,000 and an additional N50,000,000, bringing the total to N1,284,350,000 for the benefit of the Enugu State Government,” he said.
Enugu Govt Reacts While receiving the cheques, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Chidiebere Onyia, expressed gratitude to the EFCC for its “professionalism, focus, and resilience”. Mr Onyia, said the recovery underscored the Enugu State Government’s commitment to transparency, traceability, and accountability principles.
The SSG assured that the recovered funds would be reinvested in infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life of the people of the state. “When there was a misalignment between our intent to use taxpayers’ money for development and what we saw in terms of delivery, we approached the EFCC to help us recover the funds,” he said. “Today marks the beginning of that recovery process, and we are pleased with the outcome so far.”
He reiterated the government’s resolve to hold all contractors accountable for projects awarded to them, emphasizing that any contractor who fails to deliver value for public funds would face appropriate legal consequences.