On February 13, FIJ reported how the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, paid N164,273,915.62 to JRB Constructions Ltd. to renovate and furnish dilapidated classroom blocks in some schools in the Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, Lagos.

The company, owned by Jimoh Rauf Badamosi, received payment on July 24, 2022, but when FIJ quizzed it about the contract execution, its representatives went mum.

Two weeks after that report, FIJ found that the company only renovated Obele Nursery & Primary School in the constituency.

FIJ’s findings came after Badamosi called this reporter to say his company did due diligence in the execution of the contract. He said the newspaper’s claim that the company could not account for the funds was erroneous.

Following Badamosi’s call, Chidi Omeje called to say he was a journalist the company recruited to write a rebuttal. He would later write this rebuttal and claim the project was executed.

However, when providing pictorial evidence to FIJ, Omeje sent a signpost showing the contract was a constituency project sponsored by Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker of the House of Representatives and representative of the constituency at the time. This signpost also indicates the project was to be done in some schools, but Omeje revealed the company only renovated one school.

READ MORE: 2 Years After Taking FG’s N164m to Renovate Some Lagos Schools, Jimoh Gbadamosi’s JRB Constructions Can’t Give Account

Omeje sent FIJ pictures of the company renovating the school on August 42, 2022, but the pictures were labelled as Randle Nursery & Primary School.

On Wednesday, FIJ visited Randle School and found that it was different from the school Omeje showed this reporter.

Randle had seen no renovations or upgrades to its facilities, as one member of staff would confirm to this reporter.

FIJ toured the constituency until we found a school that matched the one in Omeje’s images. This school was Obele Nursery & Primary School.

The staff here confirmed to FIJ that the company renovated and furnished it in 2022, as Omeje claimed.

When FIJ asked Omeje to provide details of other school JRB constructions renovated, he first said he would confirm, but later said Badamosi was not willing to comment as all they wanted was for the original report to disappear from the internet.

After we told him we had visited the only school he provided evidence for, he said the only way the company could prove they renovated more than one school was if this reporter met their project manager in person.

FIJ called Badamosi for comments, but he did not take our calls.