Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele, the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, has reacted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) notice declaring him wanted for alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.
In a video statement released on Thursday, Ogundele, popularly known as Sujimoto, insisted that he is not a criminal or fugitive.
He explained that the issue at hand stemmed from a failed contract arrangement with the Enugu State government, rather than any fraudulent activity.
“I’m not a thief or fugitive. This is a contract between my company and the Enugu State government. The government asked me to help them build a couple of projects which was very interesting. In the middle of the project, I was going to Enugu every week, and the governor said he wanted to build the tallest building in Nigeria, a 69-storey building. I designed it, and he gave it to me,” Ogundele said, fighting back tears.
According to him, the project collapsed after a sharp rise in the cost of construction materials, which made the agreement difficult to execute.
He vowed to honour the EFCC’s invitation and clear his name, stressing that the matter is a contractual dispute, not a criminal case.
Earlier, the EFCC had urged Nigerians to provide useful information about Ogundele’s whereabouts, alleging that he was wanted for money laundering and diversion of funds.
Watch the video below:
