The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has strongly denied media reports claiming he coerced the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, into resigning.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency condemned a report published by an online platform, People’s Gazette, which alleged that Olukoyede abducted Ojulari in Abuja and forced him to step down from office.
Describing the report as “false, uncharitable, and injurious,” Olukoyede insisted that the publication is an attempt to tarnish his reputation and undermine public confidence in the EFCC.
The EFCC boss, through his legal counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the online platform to retract the publication, take down all related content from its website and social media platforms, and issue a public apology.
“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” Olumide-Fusika stated in a letter to the platform.
He further warned that failure to comply with the demands would lead to legal action for defamation, adding, “A writ in the tort of defamation will be issued to allow you prove your allegations in court.”
Although rumours about Ojulari’s resignation have made the rounds in recent days, neither the NNPCL, the Presidency, nor Ojulari himself has made any official comment on the matter.
On Monday, Ojulari appeared publicly at a Society of Petroleum Engineers event in Lagos, where he called for Africa to develop bankable energy projects as a path toward sustainable energy development.
Meanwhile, Olukoyede has reiterated his commitment to transparency and the rule of law, urging media organisations to uphold journalistic ethics and avoid disseminating unverified claims capable of misleading the public.
