By Deborah Nnamdi
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has refuted allegations that he pressured Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to resign.
The claims originated from an August 2, 2025, online report, which alleged that Olukoyede and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi, coerced Ojulari into signing a resignation letter during a closed-door meeting in Abuja. The report also linked Ojulari to British-Nigerian oil mogul Olatimbo Ayinde, who is said to have close ties to senior government officials.
In a follow-up article, the same outlet claimed Ojulari was later invited to the Presidential Villa, where First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu reportedly opposed his resignation.
Responding to the allegations, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale stated on Wednesday, on behalf of Olukoyede. Through his legal counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), Olukoyede described the reports as defamatory and damaging to his reputation.
“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” the statement said.
Olukoyede denied acting on behalf of Ayinde or being influenced by any political interests. A letter from his legal team to the publication’s editor demanded an immediate retraction, a public apology, and the removal of the reports from all platforms.
The letter stated: “He demands that the medium acknowledge your wrongdoing, expressly admit that the allegations are false, apologise unreservedly, and retract the stories from your website and social media handles.”
Olukoyede said the article falsely depicted him as someone who had “betrayed and subverted public trust by submitting the authority of his public office and trust as Chairman of the EFCC to the dictates and directives of one Olatimbo Ayinde.”
Calling the story “entirely fabricated,” he issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the outlet to comply or face legal action.
