Hundreds of Niger Delta youths on Wednesday staged a protest at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Towers in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Ojulari, over alleged corruption and mismanagement.
The demonstrators, who arrived at the headquarters as early as 6 a.m., barricaded the main gates, preventing entry and exit while displaying banners calling for Ojulari’s removal and the appointment of a Niger Delta indigene as GCEO.
The protest caused significant traffic disruptions along Herbert Macaulay Way in the Central Business District, as vehicles were diverted and NNPCL workers were forced to park at distant locations before trekking into the premises.
Security operatives, including police officers, were deployed to maintain order and ensure traffic flow, but the demonstrators held their ground outside the Towers.
The protest underscores long-standing grievances in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where groups have frequently accused the government and state-run oil firm of neglecting local interests despite the region’s central role in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.