The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has denied reports alleging that he abducted and coerced Bayo Ojulari, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), into resigning.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Olukoyede described the allegations published by an online news portal, People’s Gazette, as false, malicious, and damaging to his integrity and the office he holds.
The EFCC chairman, through his counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), has demanded a retraction of the report and a public apology within 48 hours. He warned that failure to comply would result in a defamation lawsuit.
“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” the lawyer stated.
Olukoyede also expressed concern that the report was capable of portraying him as someone who had “betrayed and subverted public trust.”
While Ojulari’s resignation remains unconfirmed, he made a public appearance on Monday at a Society of Petroleum Engineers event in Lagos, where he advocated for bankable energy projects as a path to Africa’s sustainable energy future.
Neither the NNPCL, Ojulari, nor the Presidency has officially commented on his reported resignation.
