
News
How Sujimoto CEO, Ogundele, defrauded Enugu State Government of N5.7bn – Official
… Accuses him of premeditated fraud
The Enugu State Government has accused the CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Olasijibomi Ogundele, of defrauding the state of nearly N6bn, noting that Ogundele vanished into thin air after he was paid the said sum for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools in different parts of the state.
The government also accused Ogundele of premeditated fraud, explaining that while he presented a bond issued by Jaiz Bank to secure the contract, he used the company’s Zenith Bank account registered with the state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to receive the said payment, making it impossible for the state to hold Jaiz Bank liable.
The clarifications were contained in a statement issued by the Enugu State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, on Friday.

The statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt, on July 2, 2024, the Enugu State Government awarded a contract in the sum of N11,457,930,950.52 to Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd for the construction of 22 Smart Schools (buildings only) in six months starting from the date of the acceptance of the award.
“The Enugu State Government paid the sum of N5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, in order to fast-track the projects at all the sites.

“Rather than play to the rules of the contract to deliver quality projects for furnishing and equipping ahead of September 2025 school resumption, in line with the priority placed on the Smart Green Schools initiative by the government, Mr. Ogundele resorted to shoddy jobs and the use of inexperienced workers and quack engineers. None of his sites met the structural integrity of the projects as specified in the structural drawing.

“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable to discuss the quality and progress of work proved abortive. He equally refused to attend the periodic projects briefing organised by the state government for all contractors or take numerous calls and messages put across to him. In fact, he practically abandoned the sites, leaving the Enugu State Government with no other choice than to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds paid to him.
“A joint team of officers of the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites to evaluate the progress of work on May 8 and 9, 2025, where it was clearly established that there had been minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award. In some cases, he fraudulently did not do excavation for all the blocks in site.
“It is also on record that he has not shown up at the sites or made himself available to either the state government or the law enforcement agencies even after those site visits.

“It is also pertinent to state that it was discovered in the course of investigation that whereas he presented a bond from Jaiz Bank, he used Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited’s Zenith Bank account number 1312731196 to receive the said payment and draw down the fund without deploying it to the projects. This clearly shows a premeditated intent to defraud the state ab initio.
“The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, who has no choice than to start the construction afresh. Tremendous progress has been made to keep the determination of the Mbah Administration to migrate Enugu children to Smart Green Schools by September on track.
“Nigerians should therefore disregard his theatrics and crocodile tears, as Enugu State Government is determined to and will surely recover every penny of Ndi Enugu fraudulently obtained by Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele (Sujimoto).”
The Enugu State Government’s statement was accompanied with pictures of the project sites as abandoned by Sujimoto, which were taken by the joint team of officials of the state and operatives of the EFCC during the May 8 and 9 site visits.
The pictures clearly showed that the project sites were mostly at the levels of foundation and DPC, with a few at the stage of block work.

News
Another child dumped at Pastor Chibuzor’s gate in Rivers
A cleric, Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, has raised alarm after another child was reportedly abandoned at his residence on April 23, 2026.
According to him, the incident occurred earlier in the day when the young boy was discovered at his gate. He stated that he has immediately notified the police and is making arrangements to hand the child over to the appropriate authorities.
The cleric explained that he is unable to take in new children at the moment due to ongoing registration processes with the Ministry of Social Welfare. He stressed that accepting the child would violate existing legal requirements guiding child care and protection.
He further disclosed that his facility is already accommodating over 500 children, making it necessary to strictly adhere to regulations before admitting more.
Chinyere also expressed appreciation to the Federation of International Women Lawyers and the Ministry of Social Welfare for educating him on proper legal procedures.
He reiterated that the child would be transferred to the custody of the Ministry, emphasizing that compliance with the law remains his top priority.


News
OAU medical student collapses, dies before final exam
Adewole Emmanuel, a 400-level medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has died after reportedly collapsing moments before his final session examination.
Emmanuel’s death was announced on Thursday in a statement by the Ife University Medical Students Association.
The association lamented the sudden departure, describing Emmanuel as a solid pillar of his class.
The statement read in part, “Under the cover of dark clouds, we write to you with the heaviest of hearts to inform you of the passing of one of our own, an integral part of the association and a solid pillar of his class.
While describing the deceased as “a colleague, friend, roommate, and a Part 4 medical student with an undeniably bright future until the time of his passing”, the association added that “This incident is not only sad, but crucially painful as we lost a rising star and a loving member of the IFUMSA family.”
“In honoring his dearest memories, we kindly ask the general public to do without speculations and respect the privacy of the family during this vulnerable period.”

Speaking under condition of anonymity, a senior member of the association said the student died on Wednesday without an underlying ailment.
“He died yesterday. But he hadn’t been sick. He just collapsed and couldn’t be resuscitated,” the source said.
“We were about to write our final exam for the session. And during the process of waiting for the exam, he suddenly collapsed in the college and died.
“It’s just unfortunate as he didn’t have any underlying medical condition. We have contacted his family already.”

News
Misdemeanor: Senator Jim Nwobodo’s wife, Patricia loses at Enugu Magistrate Court
..As court srikes out charges against CEO, Energy FM Enugu, Pastor Ogbuanu, 3 others, Awards N1m cost against her
An Enugu State Magistrate Court has struck out a four-count criminal charge brought against a Lagos-based cleric and Chief Executive Officer, Energy FM Enugu, Pastor Basil Ogbuanu, and three of his workers.
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The court also awarded a N1m cost against Mrs. Patricia Nwobodo, the wife of a former governor of Old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, for her failure to prosecute the case.
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The ruling, delivered by His Worship D.K. Ekoh at the Enugu South Magisterial District, followed the persistent absence of the complainants since the inception of the matter in January 2026.
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The defendants, Ezeh Patrick Muoneke, 46; Arinze Onoja, 26; Sedro Theodore, 28; and Basil Ogbuanu, 56, were arraigned on January 20, 2026, on charges bordering on conspiracy, deprivation of liberty, and assault.
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The four- count charge levelled against them read:
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“That you Eze Patrick Muoneke ‘m’, Arinze Only a ‘m’, on the 16th day of January, 2026 at about 1300hours at Patin-Son Estate, Ozubulu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu within Enugu Magisterial District did conspire among themselves to commit misdemeanor to wit: Deprivation of Liberty and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 496(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
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Count 11: That you Ede Patrick Muoneke ‘m’, Arinze Onoja ‘m’, Sedro Theodore ‘m’ and Ogbuanu Basil ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully confine the movement and detain Mrs Patricia M. Nwobodo ‘f’ against her will from 11hours to 13hours and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State 2004.
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Count 111: That you Ede Patrick Muoneke ‘m’, Arinze Onoja ‘m’, Sedro Theodore ‘m’ and Ogbuanu Basil ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully confine the movement and detain Police Constable Ugwu Emmanuel ‘m’ against his will from 1100hours to 1300hours and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
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Count IV: That you Ede Patrick Muoneke ‘m’ Arinze Onoja ‘m’, Sedro Theodore and Ogbuanu Basil ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully assault Police Constable Ugwu Emmanuel ‘m’ by beating him all over his body and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 252 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
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However, during the proceedings on April 15, 2026, the police prosecutor, B.C. Nnadozie, admitted that he had not seen the complainants since the matter started.
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Nnadozie told the court that he could not “manufacture oath” or serve witness statements on the defence as he had no contact with the nominal complainants.
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Counsel for the defendants, Emeka Oko, urged the court to dismiss the charge, noting that his clients, who are busy artisans and a Lagos resident, had suffered by traveling to Enugu for a case the complainants were not interested in pursuing.
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Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Ekoh lambasted the conduct of the complainants, describing it as a clear indication of their lack of desire to prosecute the matter.
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“A complainant whose complaint was investigated and to her knowledge is aware of the charge proffered against the defendants decides to stay in her luxury home without prosecuting her complaint, should as well pay damages to the person(s) she wrongfully complained against”, he said
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The court subsequently struck out the charge and ordered that the defendants must not be re-arrested on the strength of the same complaint.
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The trial Magistrate also granted the application for N1m cost against the complainant to be paid to the defendants.

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