Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has firmly denied claims that he coerced Bayo Ojulari, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), into resigning.
In a statement released Wednesday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Olukoyede condemned a report published by People’s Gazette, which alleged that he abducted Ojulari and compelled his resignation in Abuja. The EFCC chief described the report as defamatory and damaging to his integrity, demanding a full retraction and public apology within 48 hours.
While Ojulari’s resignation has been widely speculated, neither he, the NNPCL, nor the presidency has issued an official statement. Notably, Ojulari appeared publicly on Monday at a Society of Petroleum Engineers event in Lagos, where he spoke on the need for Africa to develop bankable energy projects for a sustainable future.
Olukoyede, through his legal counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), issued a formal notice to the publication, stating that the allegations were “so damning they cannot be ignored or treated with levity.”
