Ogundele is under investigation for reportedly failing to complete 22 Smart Green School projects in Enugu State, for which his company had already received payment from the state government.

He is accused of neglecting the project, failing to return to the construction sites, and disregarding numerous requests for accountability. After not responding to several invitations, the EFCC tagged him as wanted on September 5.

Before he turned himself in to the anti-graft agency, the troubled contractor took to social media to assert his innocence, stating that the contract had been underpriced and attributed inflation as a significant factor that hindered the execution of the project.

In response to his claims, the Enugu State Government accused the CEO of Sujimoto of going into hiding after he received N5.7 billion as a 50 percent mobilization fee, tasked with completing the 22 Smart Green Schools within six months, by February 2025.

The government clarified, “The Enugu State Government disbursed the amount of N5,762,565,475.25, representing half of the overall contract value, to expedite the projects at all locations. Instead of adhering to the contractual terms, Mr. Ogundele resorted to substandard work and employed inexperienced laborers and unqualified engineers. None of the minimal tasks completed at the sites met the structural integrity requirements outlined in the plans. Furthermore, he vanished with the funds. All attempts by the government to engage him in discussions regarding the quality and progress of the work were unsuccessful. He consistently avoided attending periodic project briefings organized by the state government for contractors and ignored numerous calls and messages directed to him.”

The government further reported that a combined team from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites on May 8 and 9, 2025, and confirmed that there was little to no substantial progress made at the locations one year after the contract was awarded.

The state added, “In some instances, he fraudulently failed to conduct excavation for all the blocks on site. It is also documented that he has not appeared at the sites or made himself available to either the state government or law enforcement agencies. The government has since reclaimed and assigned the sites to new companies, which have had to commence construction from the beginning. It is also noteworthy that other firms have been awarded multiple Smart Green School projects and are successfully completing quality work on schedule.”

Photos released alongside the Enugu State Government's response showed that most of the project sites were primarily at the foundation and DPC levels, with a few having advanced to block work, and the government emphasized that other contractors it engaged had finished similar projects.

Meanwhile, the EFCC, which had already frozen Ogundele's company accounts, secured an order from a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja to keep him detained while the investigation continues.

A source from the EFCC informed Vanguard, “We have made significant progress in the investigation. Starting next week, he (Ogundele) will meet with high-ranking officials from the Enugu State Government. He is expected to account for how he utilized the N5.7 billion or reimburse the amount.”