By Our Reporter
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has strongly denied reports alleging that he pressured the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, into resigning.
The claim, published on August 2, 2025, alleged that Olukoyede, alongside the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Ajayi, compelled Ojulari to sign a resignation letter during a private meeting in Abuja. The report also linked Ojulari to British-Nigerian oil magnate, Olatimbo Ayinde, who is said to have close ties to influential figures within the current administration.
Further reports claimed that Ojulari was summoned to the Presidential Villa, where First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu allegedly expressed disapproval of his resignation.
In response, the EFCC, through a statement issued by its spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Wednesday, refuted the story. The statement, citing Olukoyede’s legal counsel, Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), described the reports as defamatory, baseless, and damaging to the reputation of the EFCC Chairman.
“The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” the statement read.
Olukoyede insisted that he neither acted under the influence of Mr. Ayinde nor any political figure. In a formal letter addressed to the editor of the news outlet, Olumide-Fusika demanded an immediate apology and full retraction of the story from all digital platforms, including social media, within 48 hours.
The EFCC chairman stated that the reports painted a false image of him as someone who had “betrayed public trust by surrendering the authority of his office to the dictates of a private individual.”
Failure to comply with these demands, the statement warned, would lead to legal action against the publisher for reputational damage and defamation.