EFCC boss Olukoyede reacts to allegations of forcing NNPCL CEO to resign

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refuted claims that its Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, pressured or coerced the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, into resigning.

The rebuttal came in a statement released on Wednesday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, who described the circulating report as “false, defamatory, and damaging” to Olukoyede’s integrity and public image.

The allegations, originally published by online platform People’s Gazette, suggested that Ojulari was abducted and allegedly forced to resign at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. The Commission, however, dismissed these claims as entirely fabricated and without any basis in fact.

“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” said a letter to People’s Gazette from Olukoyede’s legal counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN.

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According to the EFCC, the online platform’s publication has the potential to damage the credibility of the Commission and undermine public confidence in the integrity of its leadership.

The EFCC chairman is demanding that People’s Gazette publicly retract the story and issue an unreserved apology within 48 hours across its website and social media channels.

Failure to do so, Olukoyede’s legal team warned, would prompt the filing of a defamation suit against the platform.

“You must acknowledge your wrongdoing, expressly admit that what you published and imputed against my client are false, apologise for it unreservedly, and retract and pull down the stories from your newspaper website and social media handles,” Olukoyede’s lawyer stated in the demand letter.

Olukoyede, who assumed office in October 2023, emphasized that the report painted him as someone who has “betrayed and subverted public trust’, an image he considers unacceptable for someone occupying a highly sensitive position in Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture.

The controversy comes amid widespread speculation about the sudden resignation of Bayo Ojulari, who has neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Both NNPCL and the Presidency have also maintained silence on the matter.

Notably, Ojulari was seen publicly on Monday, delivering remarks at a Society of Petroleum Engineers event in Lagos, where he urged African countries to develop bankable energy projects to ensure long-term sustainability in the continent’s energy landscape.

This public appearance has added to the confusion surrounding the alleged resignation, with many industry observers questioning the veracity of the online report.

While calls for clarification continue, the EFCC has reaffirmed its commitment to operating within the boundaries of law and due process.

The agency said it will not be distracted by what it described as “malicious attempts to tarnish its leadership” or derail its work in the fight against corruption.

As of press time, People’s Gazette has not issued any statement in response to the EFCC’s demands.

(Vanguard)