The Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele, has said he will report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to clear his name after being declared wanted over alleged money laundering and diversion of funds.
In a video that surfaced on Friday after being declared wanted by the anti-graft agency, Ogundele insisted he was not guilty of any crime.
“I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive. I am going to the EFCC office, to clear my name,” he said tearfully.
The real estate developer explained that the controversy stemmed from a contract with the Enugu State Government.
“This is a contract between my company and Enugu State Government. Enugu State Government asked me to help them build a couple of things which was very interesting. I was going to the state every week.
“In the middle of the project, the governor said he wanted to build a city and he wanted to build the tallest building in Nigeria,” he said.
Ogundele added that the matter later ended up in court.
“I was in agreement with the government after they took us to court. Now they declared me wanted, they destroyed my company that I built,” he said.
He lamented that inflation and delays had worsened the situation, saying, “In the last five years, prices have gone crazy, something I could have done in two years was delayed.”
The EFCC had earlier issued a wanted notice against Ogundele, accusing him of money laundering and diversion of funds.
The statement, signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, described him as a 43-year-old native of Ekiti State residing in Banana Island, Lagos, and urged the public to provide information on his whereabouts.
The notice accused Ogundele of money laundering and fund diversion, citing his Banana Island residence and urging the public to assist with information on his whereabouts.
The anti-graft agency’s move has drawn attention, as Ogundele now joins a list of high-profile individuals previously declared wanted by the EFCC.
While some of those cases have dragged on in court, others fizzled out, raising debates about the commission’s tactics in handling corruption allegations.
