The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has denied claims that he forced the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, to resign.
In a statement released Wednesday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Olukoyede refuted a report published by the online news platform People’s Gazette, which alleged that he abducted Ojulari and compelled him to step down in Abuja.
Describing the allegations as baseless and damaging, the EFCC chairman has demanded a retraction and public apology from the publication within 48 hours.
While rumours of Ojulari’s resignation continue to circulate, neither the NNPCL boss, the company itself, nor the presidency has issued any official statement on the matter.
Notably, amid the speculation, Ojulari appeared at a Society of Petroleum Engineers event in Lagos on Monday, where he urged African nations to develop bankable energy projects as a solution for long-term energy sustainability.
Olukoyede, reacting firmly to the story, described the report as “uncharitable and capable of casting him in the mould of someone who has ‘betrayed and subverted public trust.’”
His lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), wrote to People’s Gazette demanding immediate redress, stating:
“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity.”
The EFCC chairman is demanding that the online platform:
“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 legal team has warned that failure to comply will lead to legal action:
“Writ in the tort of defamation to allow you to prove what your disparagement of my client’s character and reputation, especially in the way of the office he holds as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”
