The Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele, says he will present himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to clear his name after being declared wanted for alleged money laundering and diversion of funds.
In a video released on Friday, shortly after the EFCC issued a wanted notice, the real estate developer insisted on his innocence.
“I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive. I am going to the EFCC office to clear my name,” Ogundele said tearfully.
He explained that the controversy arose from a contract between his company and the Enugu State Government, which later became entangled in legal disputes.
“In the middle of the project, the governor said he wanted to build a city and the tallest building in Nigeria. The matter eventually ended up in court.
“Now they have declared me wanted and destroyed the company I built,” he lamented, citing inflation and delays as factors that worsened the situation.
The EFCC, in a statement signed by its spokesperson Dele Oyewale, described Ogundele as a 43-year-old native of Ekiti State residing in Banana Island, Lagos.
The commission urged the public to provide information on his whereabouts, accusing him of money laundering and fund diversion.
Ogundele’s case has drawn attention, adding him to the list of high-profile individuals declared wanted by the anti-graft agency.
While some of such cases have dragged on in court, others have faded, fuelling debates over the EFCC’s handling of corruption allegations.